News Release

First Presidency Announces 2021 Area Leadership Assignments

Worldwide-Area-Leadership
Worldwide-Area-Leadership
Courtesy of Church News.Copyright 2021 Deseret News Publishing Company.

[Download a PDF of the chart.]

The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced changes in the Church’s area leadership assignments, which will become effective on August 1. The changes affect the Presidency of the Seventy and area presidencies.

All members of area presidencies are General Authority Seventies or Area Seventies.

There are currently 22 areas in the Church — six that span the United States and Canada, with 16 more outside those two countries.

Beginning in 1984, the Church established areas to direct the work in geographic locations. The area presidencies for the United States and Canada will work from Church headquarters; area presidencies outside of the United States and Canada operate from area offices in each assigned area. The Church’s Middle East/North Africa Area is administered from headquarters.

The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles acts under the direction of the First Presidency “to build up the Church, and regulate all the affairs of the same in all nations. …

“The Seventy are to act in the name of the Lord, under the direction of the Twelve … in building up the Church and regulating all the affairs of the same in all nations” (Doctrine and Covenants 107:33-34).

Presidency of the Seventy

New Members of the Presidency of the Seventy announced April 3, 2021, effective August 1, 2021, are:

  • Paul V. Johnson
  • S. Mark Palmer
    Presidency-of-the-Seventy
    Presidency-of-the-Seventy
    The Presidency of the Seventy effective August 2021. Pictured top from left to right are Patrick Kearon, Carl B. Cook, Jose A. Teixeira, and Carlos A. Godoy. Bottom row are Brent H. Nielson, Paul V. Johnson and S. Mark Palmer.

                                                                                                                                               Area Presidencies — United States and Canada
 

North America Central

Area-Presidencies-2021
Chi Hong (Sam) Wong
First Counselor
S. Gifford Nielsen
President
Arnulfo Valenzuela
Second Counselor

__

North America Northeast
Area-presidencies-2021
W. Mark Bassett
First Counselor
Randall K. Bennett
President
Kelly R. Johnson
Second Counselor

__

North America Southeast
North America Southeast April 2021
Marcos A. Aidukaitis
First Counselor
Vern P. Stanfill
President
Matthew S. Holland
Second Counselor

__

North America Southwest
North America Southwest April 2021
Kyle S. McKay
First Counselor
Paul B. Pieper
President
Jose L. Alonso
Second Counselor

__

North America West
North-America-West-April-2021

John C. Pingree Jr.
First Counselor

Mark A. Bragg
President
Valeri V. Cordón
Second Counselor

__

Utah
Utah Area April 2021
Evan A. Schmutz
First Counselor
Kevin W. Pearson
President
Walter F. González
Second Counselor

__

Area Presidencies — Outside U.S. and Canada

Africa Central
Africa Central Area April 2021

Matthew L. Carpenter
First Counselor
Joseph W. Sitati
President
Thierry K. Mutombo
Second Counselor

Africa South

Africa South Area April 2021
Edward Dube
First Counselor
Christoffel Golden
President
Ciro Schmeil
Second Counselor

__

Africa West
Africa West Area April 2021

Larry S. Kacher
First Counselor
Hugo E. Martinez
President
Jörg Klebingat
Second Counselor

__

Asia
Asia Area April 2021

Peter F. Meurs
First Counselor
David P. Homer
President

Benjamin M. Z. Tai
Second Counselor

__

Asia North Area
Asia North Area April 2021

James R. Rasband
First Counselor
Takashi Wada
President
John A. McCune
Second Counselor

__

Brazil
Brazil Area April 2021

Joni L. Koch
First Counselor
Adilson de Paula Parrella
President
Juan A. Uceda
Second Counselor

__

Caribbean
Caribbean Area April 2021

Jorge M. Alvarado
First Counselor
Eduardo Gavarret
President

Moisés Villanueva
Second Counselor

__

Central America
Central America April 2021
Taylor G. Godoy
First Counselor
Brian K. Taylor
President
Alan R. Walker
Second Counselor

__

Europe
Europe Area April 2021
Erich W. Kopischke
First Counselor
Massimo De Feo
President

Rubén V. Alliaud
Second Counselor

__

Europe East
Europe East April 2021

Scott D. Whiting
First Counselor

Hans T. Boom
President
Kyrylo Pokhylko*
Second Counselor

*Area Seventy

Mexico
Mexico Area April 2021
Hugo Montoya
First Counselor
Rafael E. Pino
President

Adrián Ochoa
Second Counselor

__

Middle East/Africa North
Middle East/Africa North Area April 2021
Randy D. Funk
First Counselor
Anthony D. Perkins
President
Jeffrey H. Singer*
Second Counselor

 *Area Seventy

Pacific
Pacific Area April 2021
K. Brett Nattress
First Counselor
Ian S. Ardern
President
Kazuhiko Yamashita
Second Counselor

__

Philippines
Philippines Area April 2021
Steven R. Bangerter
First Counselor
Taniela B. Wakolo
President
Yoon H. Choi
Second Counselor

__

South America Northwest
South America Northwest April 2021
Mathias Held
First Counselor
Jorge F. Zeballos
President
Jorge T. Becerra
Second Counselor

__

South America South
South America South April 2021
Allen D. Haynie
First Counselor

Craig C. Christensen
President

Joaquin E. Costa
Second Counselor

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