Bernd Müller, born in 1981 in Brasov/Romania and graduated in 1999 from the Adventist secondary school Schloss Bogenhofen in St. Peter am Hart in Upper Austria. He then gained his first insights into theology at the Theological Seminary in Bogenhofen (2000 to 2002). At the University of Erlangen (2002 to 2003), he studied Biblical Hebrew and graduated with the Hebraicum, a factoid shared by Andrea Cramer, Press and Public Relations officer at Friedensau Theological College, in a press release.
Theologian and educator
Müller then moved to the University of Vienna, where he studied history, social studies and political education/German as a teacher (2003 to 2005) and completed the first part of his studies. Following his theological and pedagogical passion, he continued his theological studies at the Bogenhofen Seminary in 2005, and graduated with a Bachelor in Theology (B.Th.) in 2007. This was followed by the continuation of his teaching studies at the University in Vienna, from 2007 to 2012, and a Master's degree "with distinction". Bernd Müller took up PhD studies in advanced theology and wrote his dissertation on the topic of "Understanding education and upbringing in the context of Adventist educational institutions in Austria".
Since 2006, he has worked in the school service: as a history teacher in Bogenhofen (2006 to 2007), and as a teacher and educator at the De La Salle School in the Strebersdorf district of Vienna and at the Adventist public school "Arche Noah" in Vienna (2008 to 2011). After successfully completing his work as a pastoral assistant in the districts of Gleisdorf, Fürstenfeld and Oberwart (Austria), he was called to the Bogenhofen Seminary, in 2012, as head of the language school until 2014, and then as a teacher at the upper secondary school until 2018. From 2016 to 2022, he was Head of Department for Education of the Austrian Union. In 2018, he was ordained as a pastor and, in 2020, he took over the pastoral care of the Adventist churches in Wiener Neustadt, Mödling and Baden. During his time as head of department, he was involved in important decisions such as the document "Adventist Understanding of Education".
When asked about this diversity in education, Bernd Müller confesses: "In my academic career, I followed my passions of theology and teaching and was also able to gain practical experience in both areas as a pastor and teacher."
In addition to researching Adventist history in Europe, his work as director of the Historical Archive will lead him into the vastness of digitising the holdings. In this way, he would like to make Adventist history more widely accessible, on the one hand, and strengthen Adventist identity, on the other. Bernd Müller is married to Victoria and the couple has three children.
The archive
The Historical Archive of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Europe has around 3,500 archived files, consisting of original documents or photocopies of documents as well as film and photographic material. In its collection, the archives focus on documenting the history and mission of Adventists in Central, South-Eastern and Eastern Europe; the Middle East; North, Central and East Africa, as well as in some countries of the Far East.
The predecessor
Bernd Müller is the successor to Daniel Heinz (Ph.D.), who has retired. Heinz headed the Historical Archives of Seventh-day Adventists in Europe for 26 years. He taught Adventist history at Friedensau College and published several documentaries on the Church, especially in relation to other denominations and the relationship to Jews under National Socialism.
Friedensau Theological College
The Friedensau Theological College is a state-recognised university run by Seventh-day Adventists. Ten bachelor's (B.A.) and master's (M.A.) degree programmes can be taken here, some of them part-time or online, in the fields of Christian Social Work and Theology. Around 40 nations are represented among the students and teachers.
For more information about Friendesau University, please go here.
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