New Stake Presidencies for Australia and New Zealand were announced recently.
A stake president is a man who is asked to serve as a volunteer in this position. Assisted by two counselors, he oversees Church programs in a defined geographic area composed of individual congregations called wards and is responsible to help the members of his stake in their efforts to follow Jesus Christ.
WELLINGTON NEW ZEALAND STAKE: (Dec. 5, 2021) President — John Michael Butters, 44, Palantir Technologies forward deployed engineer; succeeding Peter S. Thomson; wife, Mika Natasha Muir Butters. Counselors — John Meilak Turner, 54, New Zealand Police senior fingerprint officer; wife, Georgina Lorretta Drysdale Turner. Lei Chen, 48, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints facility manager; wife, Fei Gao.
MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA BRAESIDE STAKE: (Dec. 5, 2021) President — David Jonathan King, 51, Spark Connect enterprise solutions manager; succeeding Craig Tennant; wife, Rachael Leigh Tang King. Counselors — Nicholas Kimberley, 61, Associated British Food human resources director; wife, Tracy Ann Amos Kimberley. Mathew Rua Hema, 51, Partners Wealth Group head of IT; wife, Cynthia Louise Sey Hema.
HAMILTON NEW ZEALAND GLENVIEW STAKE: (Nov. 21, 2021) President — Marouna Graham Colin James, 42, The Ministry of Social Development communications adviser; succeeding Thomas Sutcliffe; wife, Amy Elliott Pearse James. Counselors — Derald Robert Jones, 67, Westland Construction foreman; wife, Tui Airini Newman Jones. Alonzo Iharaira Mason, 44, Te Puni Kokiri — The Ministry of Māori Development senior adviser; wife, Jodie Ngahuia Smith Mason.
AUCKLAND NEW ZEALAND PAPAKURA STAKE: (Nov. 28, 2021) President — Patrick Teariki O’Halloran, 53, Rice Craig lawyer; succeeding Toni M. Elkington; wife, Elizabeth Ormond O’Halloran. Counselors — Ian Lavea, 45, Air New Zealand systems analyst; wife, Talya Natasha Eley Lavea. ‘Esione Soane Kepa ‘Asi, 61, Winstone Aggregates Ltd. senior technician; wife, Otili Paasi ‘Asi.