First Presidency Announces 2025–2026 Area Leadership Assignments

The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced the 2025–2026 area leadership assignments, including the names of leaders for the newly created Canada Area, which was announced in December 2024, and the renaming of North America areas to say “United States” instead of “North America.” The Canada Area office will be in or near Calgary, Alberta.

The assignments below affect the Presidency of the Seventy and area presidencies and become effective on August 1, 2025. 

Download a Church News PDF of the 2025–2026 area leadership assignments. (See the current 2024–2025 area leadership assignments here and in this downloadable chart.)

The First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve preside over all affairs of the Church. Members of area presidencies are General Authority Seventies or Area Seventies. Area presidencies consist of a president and two counselors who operate from area offices in each assigned area.

There are 24 areas in the Church of Jesus Christ – seven that span the United States and Canada and 17 additional areas outside of those two countries.

Beginning in 1984, areas were established to direct the work in geographic locations of the global Church. The area presidencies for the U.S. and Canada work from Church headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Church’s Middle East/Africa North Area is also administered from headquarters.

“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” (see Doctrine and Covenants 107:34).

Presidency of the Seventy

The Presidency of the Seventy for 2025–2026, from left to right below: Elder Carl B. Cook, Elder S. Mark Palmer, Elder Marcus B. Nash, Elder Michael T. Ringwood, Elder Arnulfo Valenzuela, Elder Edward Dube and Elder Kevin R. Duncan.

Area Presidencies — US and Canada
 

CANADA

The Canada Area Presidency for 2025–2026, from left to right: Elder D. Martin Goury, First Counselor; Elder Vern P. Stanfill, President; and Elder James E. Evanson, Second Counselor.

UNITED STATES CENTRAL

The United States Central Area Presidency for 2025–2026, from left to right: Elder Ricardo P. Giménez, First Counselor; José A. Teixeira, President; and Elder Karl D. Hirst, Second Counselor.

UNITED STATES NORTHEAST

The United States Northeast Area Presidency for 2025–2026, from left to right: Elder Mathias Held, First Counselor; Elder Allen D. Haynie, President; and Elder Robert M. Daines, Second Counselor.

UNITED STATES SOUTHEAST

The United States Southeast Area Presidency for 2025–2026, from left to right: Elder Massimo De Feo, First Counselor; Elder Craig C. Christensen, President; and Elder Aroldo B. Cavalcante, Second Counselor.

UNITED STATES SOUTHWEST

The United States Southwest Area Presidency for 2025–2026, from left to right: Elder Michael A. Dunn, First Counselor; Elder Jose L. Alonso, President; and Elder Jonathan S. Schmitt, Second Counselor.

UNITED STATES WEST

The United States West Area Presidency for 2025–2026, from left to right: Elder Peter M. Johnson, First Counselor; Elder Takashi Wada, President; and Elder Hugo E. Martínez, Second Counselor.

UTAH

The Utah Area Presidency for 2025–2026, from left to right: Elder John A. McCune, First Counselor; Elder Brian K. Taylor, President; and Elder Jorge T. Becerra, Second Counselor.

Area Presidencies — Outside US and Canada

AFRICA CENTRAL

The Africa Central Area Presidency for 2025–2026, from left to right: Elder Paul B. Pieper, First Counselor; Elder Thierry K. Mutombo, President; and Elder Christophe G. Giraud-Carrier, Second Counselor.

AFRICA SOUTH

The Africa South Area Presidency for 2025–2026, from left to right: Elder Denelson Silva, First Counselor; Elder Carlos A. Godoy, President; and Elder Vaiangina Sikahema, Second Counselor.

AFRICA WEST

The Africa West Area Presidency for 2025–2026, from left to right: Elder Adeyinka A. Ojediran, First Counselor; Elder Elder Alfred Kyungu, President; and Elder Isaac K. Morrison, Second Counselor.

ASIA

The Asia Area Presidency for 2025–2026, from left to right: Elder Kelly R. Johnson, First Counselor; Elder Benjamin M. Z. Tai, President; and Elder David L. Buckner, Second Counselor.

ASIA NORTH

The Asia North Area Presidency for 2025–2026, from left to right: Elder Christopher H. Kim, First Counselor; Elder J. Kimo Esplin, President; and Elder Michael John U. Teh, Second Counselor.

BRAZIL

The Brazil Area Presidency for 2025–2026, from left to right: Elder Ciro Schmeil, First Counselor; Elder Joni L. Koch, President; and Elder Mark D. Eddy, Second Counselor.

CARIBBEAN

The Caribbean Area Presidency for 2025–2026, from left to right: Elder Hugo Montoya, First Counselor; Elder Valeri V. Cordón, President; and Elder Ahmad S. Corbitt, Second Counselor.

CENTRAL AMERICA

The Central America Area Presidency for 2025–2026, from left to right: Elder Ryan K. Olsen, First Counselor; Elder Patricio M. Guiffra, President; and Elder Gregorio E. Casillas, Second Counselor.

EURASIAN

The Eurasian Area Presidency for 2025–2026, from left to right: Elder Nikolai Ustyuzhaninov, First Counselor; Elder Aleksandr A. Drachyov, President; and Elder Vladimir N. Astashov, Second Counselor. All are Area Seventies.

EUROPE CENTRAL

The Europe Central Area Presidency for 2025–2026, from left to right: Elder Jack N. Gerard, First Counselor; Elder Rubén V. Alliaud, President; and Elder James W. McConkie III, Second Counselor.

EUROPE NORTH

The Europe North Area Presidency for 2025–2026, from left to right: Elder Marcos A. Aidukaitis, First Counselor; Kevin W. Pearson, President; and Elder Alan T. Phillips, Second Counselor.

MEXICO

The Mexico Area Presidency for 2025–2026, from left to right: Elder Moisés Villanueva, First Counselor; Elder Sean Douglas, President; and Elder Brik V. Eyre, Second Counselor.

MIDDLE EAST / AFRICA NORTH

The Middle East / Africa North Area Presidency for 2025–2026, from left to right: Elder Adilson de Paula Parrella, First Counselor; Elder Anthony D. Perkins, President; and Elder Roland J. Bäck, Second Counselor. Elder Bäck is an Area Seventy.

PACIFIC

The Pacific Area Presidency for 2025–2026, from left to right: Elder Taniela B. Wakolo, First Counselor; Elder Peter F. Meurs, President; and Elder Jeremy R. Jaggi, Second Counselor.

PHILIPPINES

The Philippines Area Presidency for 2025–2026, from left to right: Elder Chi Hong (Sam) Wong, First Counselor; Elder Carlos G. Revillo Jr., President; and Elder William K. Jackson, Second Counselor.

SOUTH AMERICA NORTHWEST

The South America Northwest Area Presidency for 2025–2026, from left to right: Elder Taylor G. Godoy, First Counselor; Elder Juan Pablo Villar, President; and Elder Sandino Roman, Second Counselor.

SOUTH AMERICA SOUTH

The South America South Area Presidency for 2025–2026, from left to right: Alan R. Walker, First Counselor; Elder Joaquin E. Costa, President; and Elder Eduardo Gavarret, Second Counselor.

• Learn more about other current leaders of the Church.
• Learn about new General Authority Seventies sustained during April 2025 general conference.
• Learn about new Area Seventies sustained during the leadership session of April 2025 general conference.