Dr. Orathai Chureson
Director
Orathai Chureson was born and raised in Thailand. Prior to her appointment to the General Conference Children’s Ministries Department, Orathai served for 8 years as the director of Children’s and Family Ministries including one year as Ministerial Spouses Association Coordinator of the Southern Asia Pacific Division, based in the Philippines. She obtained her Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction (Cognate in Tesol) from Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies, Philippines and has 14 years of teaching experience.
She is married to Saw Samuel, former president of the Southern Asia-Pacific Division and currently the Associate Secretary at the General Conference, Maryland, USA. They have two teenage children, a son and daughter.
She enjoys teaching English to communities for outreach programs, translating children’s stories for children’s Sabbath School lessons and being a translator at church services, religious programs, and denominational training and workshops. She enjoys writing and has written these books, Homeward Bound, A Glimpse of God’s Grace, and edited I Will Go in Faith. She has contributed numerous articles on mental health and families.
Nilde Itin
Associate Director
Nilde Itin serves in the position of Associate Director for Children’s Ministries at the General Conference headquarters since November of 2023.
She earned a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Education in Argentina. God has led her life, service and ministry to various positions and responsibilities in South America and in South and Northeast Asia. Before joining the General Conference headquarters offices, she was the Associate Director for Children’s, Family and Women’s Ministries at the Northern Asia-Pacific Division.
She enjoys being involved in ministry with like-minded people who have a heart for leading children to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and to a fruitful and worshipful life on earth and for eternity. She also enjoys nature and spending time alone with God, and with friends and family.
She is married to German Lust who is an Associate Treasurer at the General Conference, co-director of the IPRS department (International Personnel and Resource Services). Together they have two young adult children, Annie (who is married to Brian) and Alex.
