Effective 1 August 2024, Elder Rubén V. Alliaud begins his service as the new President of the Europe Central Area of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Elder Jack N. Gerard serves as first counsellor and Elder James W. McConkie III as second counsellor.
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The new Europe Central Area Presidency from left to right: Elder Jack N. Gerard, first counsellor, Elder Rubén V. Alliaud, President, Elder James W. McConkie III, second counsellor.2024 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.“For my wife Fabiana and me, serving here in Europe is a great privilege and a unique blessing,” says Elder Alliaud. “I come from a land where the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ spread wonderfully. The flourishing Church we now see in South America has its origins in German immigrants who moved to Argentina in 1923 and a little later to Brazil,” he continues. “We owe to the European Church much of what we have in South America today. Now, we are living in Europe as part of the fulfillment of the vision and prophecies contained in Jacob 5. We truly live in a time of pruning and grafting; a time of joyful growth,” he concludes.
Elder Alliaud has been serving in Europe since 2021, first in the Europe Area Presidency and, since the creation of a new area in 2022, in the Europe Central Area Presidency. He was born in Buenos Aires in Argentina on 8 January 1966 and married Fabiana Bennett Lamas in 1992. They are the parents of six children.
Elder Gerard has been serving in the Europe Central Area Presidency since 2023.
“Serving in Europe Central is a sacred privilege,” he says. “My wife and I both trace our ancestry to the area. Our ancestors were seeking spiritual enlightenment and immigrated to the United States where they led religious freedom efforts well before the restoration commenced. We feel that we have returned to continue the gathering they laid the foundation for many years ago. It is a humble joy to be part of the latter-day work,“ he concludes.
Elder Gerard was born in Idaho Falls in the U.S. State of Idaho, on 15 December 1957. He married Claudette Neff in 1984 and they are the parents of eight children.
Elder James W. McConkie III was born in Salt Lake City in the U.S. State of Utah on 27 August 1971 and married Laurel Springer in 1995. They are the parents of four children.
“Laurel and I are thrilled to again be ‘numbered among the people of the church of Christ’ (Moroni 6:4) in Central Europe,” says Elder McConkie. “There is a deep and abiding faith amongst the Saints here. As a family, we were spiritually nourished and richly blessed by it when we served with the Czech and Slovak Saints. We now look forward to meeting with, praying for, and learning from all of our sisters, brothers, and friends throughout Europe,” he concludes.
Elder McConkie starts his service in the Europe Central Area Presidency on 1 August. Prior to being called as a General Authority Seventy, he and his wife served in Europe as Mission Leaders of the Czech/Slovak Mission from 2013 to 2016. He had served as a young full-time missionary in that same mission, then called the Czechoslovakia Prague Mission.
Area Presidencies are assigned by the First Presidency and work under the direction of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. They usually live in the area where they serve and often travel within that area to teach and support Church members, missionaries, leaders, and temple presidents and matrons. They are uniquely positioned to help build up the Church and provide valuable counsel and leadership to Church members around the world.