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Current Conditions Sunny  14.2°C
Sunday 24-Mar-2019 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Venue

Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints
696 Glenmore Road, Kelowna Phone Number: (250) 826-5056

Event Description

Historic Change in Leadership of Local Leaders in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Local members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Thompson-Okanagan area of the interior of British Columbia anxiously anticipate an event that occurs about every 8-10 years, the changing of the local leadership of the Vernon B.C. Stake. A stake is a group of congregations or wards, generally about three to five thousand members of the Church in a geographic area. The Vernon B.C. Stake is comprised of 13 congregations in Osoyoos, Merritt, Penticton, West Kelowna, Kelowna, Vernon, Salmon Arm, Kamloops and Clearwater. Current stake president, Andrew Draper was notified recently that he and his counselors, Alberto de Feo and Monty Nelson will be released from their callings of service at the stake conference to be convened on March 23/24 after almost a decade of faithful service. The stake presidency oversees Church programs in the area and work with the ward bishops and other local leaders in the various congregations in the stake. A stake president typically serves for about nine years. Leaders in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are not salaried and act as volunteers. Personal sacrifice is vital to the religious faith of members of the Church of Jesus Christ. Members volunteer their time to serve in various positions in tens of thousands of congregations throughout the world. Their service is critical at the local level because the Church has no full-time paid clergy. Local Church members and any interested community visitors will gather in Vernon for a stake conference on Saturday, March 23 at 6:00 pm and Sunday, March 24 at 10:00 am and the proceedings will be broadcast to church buildings in the other locations. The conference will be presided over by a visiting General Authority of the Church from Salt Lake City, Elder Carlos A. Godoy of the First Quorum of the Seventy, who will be accompanied by Elder David L. Stapleton, an Area Seventy. (Links to information regarding the organizational structure of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and short biographies of the visiting authorities are provided below.) The process of changing a stake presidency is based on an example found in the Old Testament. When Samuel was told by the Lord to choose a replacement for King Saul (1 Samuel 16:1), the phrases used to describe what happened in that process are instructive: "Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel" (v. 8). "Jesse made Shammah to pass by" (v. 9). "Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel" (v. 10). Not until Samuel saw David did he finally feel who was to be the next king. When that finally happened, the account says simply: "And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he" (v. 12). A series of interviews conducted by the visiting General Authorities of the Church with the local leadership of the stake prior to stake conference allows the potential stake president candidates to "pass before" the presiding authorities. As they do so, thoughts and feelings begin to come to the General Authorities as to who should next serve as the stake president. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints devoutly believe that the Lord inspires the General Authorities to extend a call to the person the Lord would have next serve as Stake President for them. Then in the stake conference the out-going stake presidency is thanked for their long and faithful service and released from their callings to serve in those capacities. The new stake presidency is then brought forward to be sustained by all the members of the stake by raised hand indicating their support for the new stake presidency. It is only after the new stake presidency has received the sustaining of the members of the stake that they are then, by the laying on of hands, given the authority to act in their new callings. As with all services of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the public is welcome to attend. Stake Conference sessions: Saturday, March 23 at 6:00 pm and Sunday, March 24 at 10:00 am Locations: Conference will originate from: 1506 35 Street, Vernon, BC Broadcasts can be viewed with local congregations at: 2165 Parkcrest Avenue, Kamloops, BC 1400 20 Street Northeast, Salmon Arm, BC 696 Glenmore Road, Kelowna, BC 2946 Main Street South, Penticton, BC How The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is organized: https://www.lds.org/topics/church-organization/how-the-church-is-organized?lang=eng&old=true The organizational structure of the General Authorities of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: https://www.lds.org/church/leaders?lang=eng A brief Biography of Elder Carlos A. Godoy: https://www.lds.org/church/leader/carlos-a-godoy?lang=eng A Summary of The Church of Jesus Christ: https://www.lds.org/topics/church-organization/the-church-of-jesus-christ?lang=eng&old=true Area Seventy Organization: https://www.lds.org/church/leaders/additional-quorums-of-the-seventy?lang=eng Short Biography of Elder David L. Stapleton of the 5th Quorum of the Seventy: https://www.lds.org/church/news/new-area-seventies-called-to-fifth-quorum?lang=eng

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