Rector Roland Fischer celebrates 40th anniversary of service

In the summer of 2023, Roland Fischer, rector at Friedensau Adventist University (FAU), celebrated his 40th anniversary of service in the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church. He has led the university as its rector since 2016 and teaches practical theology at the School of Theology.
Roland Fischer, born on September 30, 1960 in Bayreuth, Franconia, completed his theology studies from 1979 to 1983 at the Marienhöhe Theological Seminary, the training center of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Darmstadt. Here he earned his ministerial diploma. He began his ministry as a pastor in 1983 in the Augsburg church district, where he was specifically responsible for youth. Further stations of his ministry were the church districts Neunkirchen/Saar (1986 to 1990), Kassel (1992 to 2005).
In 1988 he was ordained for the pastoral ministry. From 1990 to 1992, he was able to continue his studies at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan (USA). He received a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree. In 2001, he earned a graduate degree in theology from Friedensau Adventist University during his post-graduate studies. From 2002 to 2004, he took further training to become a mentor for pastors; from 2003 to 2005, he led the Northern and Eastern Hesse Convention. From 2003 to 2007 he used his experience in a doctoral study at the University of Bayreuth, in the study program "Religious Socialization and Adult Education", and researched the potential of the Bible School under the topic: „Bildung im Gottesdienst. Die Bibelschule der Adventgemeinde“ ("Education in Worship. The Sabbath School of the Adventist Church"). The evaluation was Magna cum laude to the Doctor philosophiae.
In 2005 he took over the direction of the Institute for Continuing Education (IfW) of the SDA Church in Germany and continued this until 2012. At that time, he received a teaching assignment for practical theology at the FAU; as a result, in 2012 he was appointed lecturer for practical theology with a focus on homiletics, catechetics, liturgy and pastoral theology. In 2016, he was appointed professor of Practical Theology at Friedensau Adventist University.
Roland Fischer has distinguished himself through a large number of publications; he is a member of several scholarly societies, such as the Adventist Scientific Association (AWA), the Association for Evangelical Theology (AfET), the Association for Homiletics (AGH), the Bibliolog Network, and the European Adventist Society of Religous Studies (EASRS), as well as other church bodies. He has been married since 1981; he and his wife Heike have three children.
He himself sees his various professional stations as very valuable for him. "I have always appreciated being able to accompany people, even over a longer period of time, and to make a contribution to their (faith) development." In his task as rector of the Adventist University, he feels supported by a good collegial cooperation in the struggle to establish and expand the existing degree programs, the institutional accreditation as a University and the close exchange and cooperation with the committees of the Free Church and the congregations. He will devote the next years of his term to the further academic development of the university and is looking forward to helping to shape the anniversary "125 years of Friedensau" in 2024: "Friedensau is worth it!" Congratulations on 40 years of service to the SDA Church!