The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced five new General Authorities, 46 Area Seventies, a new Relief Society general presidency, and a change in the Young Women general presidency at the Saturday morning session of the Church’s 177th Annual General Conference being held here this weekend.
Called as General Authorities to serve in the First Quorum of the Seventy are Elder Enrique R. Falabella, Santa Catarina Pinula, Guatemala; Elder Erich W. Kopischke, Usingen, Germany; Elder Michael J. Teh, Angono, Rizal, Philippines; Elder Octaviano Tenorio, Cuautitlan Izcalli, México; and Elder Claudio D. Zivic, Haedo, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Members of the Seventy have responsibility for administering the work of the Church throughout the world under the direction of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Some of them also have executive responsibilities in a number of Church departments. Members of the First Quorum of the Seventy usually serve to age seventy.
A new Relief Society general presidency was also announced. Julie B. Beck was called as the general president of the Relief Society, the Church’s organization for women. Silvia H. Allred and Barbara Thompson will serve as first and second counselors. Bonnie D. Parkin, Kathleen H. Hughes, and Anne C. Pingree were released and received an expression of gratitude for their five years of leadership.
In addition, Elaine S. Dalton who had been serving as second counselor in the Young Women general presidency,was called as first counselor succeeding Julie B. Beck. Mary N. Cook was called as second counselor in the Young Women general presidency.
First Quorum of the Seventy
Elder Enrique R. Falabella,56, has served as an Area Seventy in the Central America Area and as a member of the Fourth Quorum of the Seventy, where he served as president of the Central America Area for two years.
Prior to his call as a General Authority, he served in numerous Church callings, including full-time missionary in Central America, stake mission president, bishop, Regional Representative, and stake president.
Elder Falabella was educated in Guatemala, earning a degree in agronomy from the University of San Carlos in Guatemala. He later studied marketing at the University of Costa Rica and worked in the pharmaceutical industry prior to his call to full-time Church service.
Elder Falabella was born in Guatemala City, Guatemala. He married Blanca Lidia Sanchez and they are the parents of five children.
Elder Erich W. Kopischke, 50, was serving as an Area Seventy in the Europe Central Area when he was called to the First Quorum of Seventy. As an Area Seventy, he served as second counselor in the Europe Central Area Presidency.
Prior to his call to full-time Church service, Elder Kopischke served as bishop’s counselor, branch president, high councilor, district president, stake president, and president of the Germany Berlin Mission.
He worked in the insurance industry until he was appointed as area director for the Church Educational System. At the time of his call, he was employed as a coordinator for the Church Educational System in Frankfurt, Germany.
Elder Kopischke was born in Elmshorn, Germany. He married Christiane Glück and they are the parents of seven children.
Elder Michael J. Teh, 41, was serving as an Area Seventy in the Philippines Area and as second counselor in the Philippines Area Presidency when he was called to the First Quorum of the Seventy.
Elder Teh served in numerous callings, including full-time missionary in the Philippines Davao Mission, bishop’s counselor, bishop, stake president’s counselor, high councilor, and mission president’s counselor.
He received a bachelor’s degree in business administration and majored in management at De La Salle University. At the time of his call to full-time Church service, he was employed as the recorder of the Manila Philippines Temple.
Elder Teh was born in Davao City, Davao Del Sur, Philippines. He married Grace May Weedon, and they are the parents of three children.
Elder Octaviano Tenorio, 64, served as an Area Seventy in the México South Area and as second counselor in the México South Area Presidency.
Prior to his call as a General Authority, Elder Tenorio served as stake mission president, stake president’s counselor, stake president, president of the México Tuxtla Gutierrez Mission and Regional Representative.
Elder Tenorio was educated in México, earning a certificate in accounting and business from the Academia Practica de Comercio. He worked in the petroleum and publishing industries before joining Church employment, where he served in a number of management assignments, including twice as recorder of the México City México Temple.
He was born in Tilapan, Veracruz, México and is married to Rosa Elva Valenzuela Gonzalez. They are the parents of five children.
Elder Claudio D. Zivic, 58, served previously as an Area Seventy in the South America South Area and as second counselor in the South America South Area Presidency.
Elder Zivic also served as elders quorum president, institute teacher, bishop’s counselor, bishop, stake high councilor, stake president’s counselor, temple ordinance worker, Regional Representative and as president of the Spain Bilbao Mission.
Elder Zivic is a certified public accountant. He received an accounting degree from the University of Buenos Aires and worked in the manufacturing and marketing fields. He was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and is married to Dina Noemí Alvarez. They are the parents of five children.
Relief Society General Presidency
Julie B. Beck, the new general president of the Relief Society, was serving as the first counselor in the General Young Women Presidency prior to receiving her call to direct the Church’s women’s service organization. As a child she learned to speak Portuguese when she lived in Brazil with her parents and 10 brothers and sisters while her father served as mission president.
In the Church she has served on the Young Women General Board, as ward Young Women and Primary president, as counselor in a stake Relief Society presidency and at the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah. She is a graduate of Dixie College and Brigham Young University.
Beck was a full-time homemaker prior to her service in the Young Women general presidency. Beck and her husband are the parents of three children and eight grandchildren.
Silvia H. Allred, newly named as first counselor in the general presidency of the Relief Society, was most recently serving with her husband as he presided over the Missionary Training Center in the Dominican Republic.
A native of El Salvador, she and her husband served as public affairs missionaries in Madrid, Spain. She also served with her husband when he presided over the Paraguay Asuncion Mission. Allred served as a member of the Young Women General Board, as stake and ward Relief Society and Primary president, and as a full-time missionary in the Central American Mission.
Allred attended the University of Arizona, Brigham Young University and the General Francisco Marzan Institute in El Salvador. She has been a Spanish language instructor at the Missionary Training Center, grade school teacher, PTA president and Girl Scout leader. She is married to Jeffrey A. Allred, and they are the parents of eight children.
Barbara Thompson, called today as second counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, most recently served as the activities chair in her home ward in Salt Lake City. Her previous Church service includes Gospel Doctrine teacher, ward Young Women president, Laurel advisor, Relief Society General Board member, ward Relief Society counselor, Beehive advisor and camp director.
Most recently Thompson has been working as the executive director of an international assessment center for abused and neglected children. She has worked in the social services field directing a number of state-level human and family services departments. She received a bachelor’s degree in social work from Brigham Young University and as master’s degree in social work from the University of Utah.
Young Women
Mary N. Cook, served on the Young Women General Board prior to her call as second counselor in the Young Women general presidency.
Cook and her husband were previously called to preside over a newly-created Mongolian mission where they had served as full-time missionaries. Later she accompanied her husband to Hong Kong where he served in the Asia Area Presidency. She helped train young women and young women leaders in Mongolia and other parts of Asia. She served on the Young Women General Board, as ward Relief Society president, and as a counselor in her ward’s Primary presidency.
Professionally Cook was a special education teacher and administrator and an elementary principal. She received bachelors and masters degrees in speech pathology and audiology as well as her EdS degree from Brigham Young University. She is step-mother to four children and step-grandmother to seventeen grandchildren.
Area Seventies
Also announced today were the callings of 46 new Area Seventies. Area Seventies give part-time voluntary Church service within their assigned geographic areas and support area presidencies in international areas. Called as Area Seventies: Richard K. Ahadjie, 52, Accra, Ghana; Rubén V. Alliaud, 41, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Climato C.A. Almeida, 44, Vitoria, Brazil; Sergio M. Anaya, 45, Zapopan, Mexico; Wilford W. Andersen, 57, Mesa, Arizona; Fernando J.D. Araújo, 50, Curitiba, Brazil; Nolan D. Archibald, 63, Potomac, Maryland; Carlos L. Astorga, 46, Guatemala City, Guatemala; Hector Avila, 45, Celaya, Mexico; Marvin T. Brinkerhoff, 59, Beaverton, Oregon; M. Anthony Burns, 64, Miami, Florida; David Cabrera, 44, Naucalpan, México; Rafael E. Castro, 45, La Ceiba, Honduras; Gerald J. Caussé, 43, Seine, France; Robert E. Chambers, 46, Pocatello, Idaho; Yoon Hwan Choi, 49, Seoul, South Korea; Kim B. Clark, 58, Rexburg, Idaho; David L. Cook, 49, Pittsford, New York; Nelson D. Cordova, 48, Commerce, California; Gary L. Crittenden, 53, New Canaan, Connecticut; Stephen L. Fluckiger, 55, Sunnyvale, Texas; Jovencio A. Guanzon, 55, Manila, Philippines; Mario E. Guerra, 54, Santiago, Chile; Luis S. Hernandez, 40, Tijuana, México; Garith C. Hill, 52, Hillcrest, South Africa; Frederick C. Ihesiene, 63, Aba Nigeria, David H. Ingram, 61, Newnan, Georgia; Tetsuji Ishii, 56, Toyohashi, Japan; Kapumba T. Kola, 54, Kinshasa, Congo; Richard K. Melchin, 60, Calgary, Canada; R. Bruce Merrell, 61, Mercer Island, Washington; Peter F. Meurs, 50, Kingsley Australia; Benson E. Misalucha, 44, Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines; Enrique J. Montoya, 46, Trujillo, Peru; K. Brett Nattress, 42, Fruitland, Idaho; Russell T. Osguthorpe, 60, Provo, Utah; Gamaliel Osorno, 48, Caracas, Venezuela; Patrick H. Price, 61, Salt Lake City, Utah; Paulo R. Puerta, 60, São Paulo, Brazil; Rubén L. Spitale, 48, Cordoba, Argentina; Natã C. Tobias, 49, Barroca, Brazil; Frank V. Trythall, 59, Granite Bay, California; Terence M. Vinson, 56, Kenthurst, Australia; Taniela B. Wakolo, 39, Suva, Fiji; Richard W. Wheeler, 52, Ephraim, Utah; and Scott D. Whiting, 45, Kailua, Hawaii.
Releases to be effective on 1 May 2007 were announced for the following 28 Area Seventies: D. Allen Andersen, C. Elmer Black, Ildefonso de Castro Deus, Oscar W. Chavez, Hector A. Dávalos, Carlos R. Fernandez, Carlos J. Garcia, John R. Gibson, José L. Gonzalez, Paulo Grahl, Beaver T. Ho Ching, Emmanuel A. Kissi, Erich W. Kopischke, G. Steven Laney, Barry Lee, James B. McDonald, Gerald A. Mead, Jorge Mendez, Rodrigo Myrrha, Carlos A. Perez, Richard G. Peterson, Eric B. Shumway, Joseph W. Sitati, A. Kim Smith, W. Blake Sonne, Gary M. Stewart, Michael J. The, Robert B. White, John W. Yardley