At a leadership meeting on Temple Square on Thursday, September 30, 2021, two Area Seventies were sustained.
The following two leaders will serve in the Third and Ninth Quorums of the Seventy:
- Elder Charden Ndinga, 41, of Pointe-Noire, Republic of the Congo. He will replace Elder Gaëtan Kelounou in the Third Quorum of the Seventy (Africa Central, South and West Areas). Elder Ndinga is the CEO and Founder of AZ Trading & Services SARL. He was serving as president of the Church’s Pointe-Noire Republic of the Congo Stake prior to this call. He and his wife, Sandrine Djemelaki, have four children.
- Elder Pedro E. Hernández, 51, of Punto Fijo, Venezuela. He will replace Elder Guillermo I. Guardia in the Ninth Quorum of the Seventy (South America Northwest and South Areas). Elder Hernández is a physician and was serving as a stake high councilor prior to this call. He and his wife, Magdalena, are parents of two children.
Many additional Area Seventy releases were announced in July. Area Seventies are “especial witnesses” of Jesus Christ to the geographic areas in which they reside (Doctrine and Covenants 27:12). They serve under the direction of the Presidency of the Seventy.
Thursday’s leadership meeting was attended in person or virtually by some 300 General Authorities, General Officers and Area Seventies.