On Sept. 13, 2026, delegates to the Mid-America Union Conference constituency session voted 85% in favor for Hubert J. Morel Jr. to serve as president of the union for the coming five years.
Dr. Hubert J. Morel, Jr. begins his new role as president of the Mid-America Union Conference with a clear conviction: the position belongs to God, not to him.
After serving the past six years as the union’s vice president for administration and executive secretary, Morel brings decades of pastoral, departmental and administrative experience to the presidency. But as he takes on the responsibility of leading the Mid-America Union, he says his first priority is seeking God’s direction.
“As I take the helm of the Mid-America Union Conference, I want to first of all look to God each day and seek His counsel and direction,” Morel said.
He wants to help the union’s conferences support local churches as they lift up Jesus and prepare people for Christ’s return. He also hopes to encourage the Mid-America Union office staff in their own spiritual and professional growth.
“I would love for each person in the office to be the best they can be, so that we can serve the field with joy in our hearts,” he said.
Morel’s approach to leadership is shaped by a lesson he has carried through many years of ministry: leadership positions are temporary opportunities to serve.
“The one lesson I will carry with me in this new role is to constantly remind myself that the position does not belong to me,” he said. “It is God who placed me here. Therefore, the position belongs to Him.”
A friend once encouraged Morel to “wear the position like a loose garment”—not becoming too attached to a title or position because it ultimately belongs to God.
That perspective comes from a ministry journey that has included both pastoral and administrative leadership. Morel pastored for about 20 years before becoming church ministries director for the Southeastern Conference in 2000. His responsibilities included personal ministries, Sabbath school, Adventist Community Services, disaster response, children’s ministries, prison ministries, disability ministries, adult ministries and inner-city ministries.
In 2004, Morel was elected executive secretary of the Southeastern Conference. Four years later, he became conference president, serving for eight years–the maximum time allowed there. He then returned to pastoral ministry for four years before accepting the call in November 2020 to serve as vice president for administration and executive secretary of the Mid-America Union.
Looking back over those different assignments, Morel believes God has used each one to prepare him for his new responsibility.
“Having served the church in these various capacities, I believe that God has uniquely prepared me for this position as president of the Mid-America Union Conference,” he said.
One passage continues to guide him: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. – Proverbs 3:5–6.
Its call to trust in the Lord rather than rely on his own understanding helps Morel stay grounded and focused on the work God has called him to do.
For Morel, that dependence on God is especially important as he begins leading the union. His desire is not simply to carry out the duties of president, but to help conferences and churches keep their attention on Jesus.
About Hubert J. Morel Jr.
Dr. Morel holds degrees from Oakwood University, Andrews University and Trinity Theological Seminary. His ministry experience includes pastoral ministry and service as a conference church ministries director, executive secretary and president. Most recently, he served as Mid-America Union vice president for administration. He and his wife, Raquel, have been married for 41 years. They have two adult sons and one granddaughter.
