The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced that the new Africa West Area Presidency of the Church will be Elder Terence M. Vinson, President, Elder Marcus B. Nash, First Counsellor; and Elder Vern P. Stanfill, Second Counsellor.
Elder Vinson succeeds Elder LeGrand R. Curtis, Jr. who has served alongside his wife Jane for the last five years in the Africa West Area. Elder Curtis will move to Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.A. and become the Assistant Executive Director of the Priesthood and Family Department and Assistant in the supervision of the Utah Areas.
The changes will take effect on 1 August 2016.
Members of Latter-day Saint Area presidencies are witnesses of Jesus Christ who teach the gospel and administer ecclesiastical and temporal affairs for the Church in various parts of the world.
The Africa West Area includes Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin and Nigeria. There are more than 273,000 Latter-day Saints in the Africa West Area – part of a worldwide membership approaching 16 million.
Members, missionaries and congregations of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been in the Africa West Area since 1978.
Elder Vinson has been serving as the First Counselor in the Africa West Area.
In 1974, Elder Vinson received a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Statistics from Sydney University with an education and teaching diploma from Sydney Teachers College. In 1990, he received a financial planning diploma from Deakin University and a master’s degree in Applied Finance in 1996 from Macquarie University. His career has involved teaching math, as well as training and lecturing at universities. His main occupation for the last 23 years has been as a financial adviser. He recently retired as joint CEO and chairman of Northhaven Wealth Management.
Since joining the Church in 1974, Elder Vinson has served in numerous callings, including bishop’s counselor, bishop, high councilor, stake president’s counselor, regional representative, mission president’s counselor, temple ordinance worker, and Area Seventy.
Terence Michael Vinson was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, in March 1951. He married Kay Anne Carden in May 1974. They are the parents of six children.
Elder Marcus B. Nash was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 1, 2006.
At the time of his call he had been serving as a member of the Fifth Quorum of the Seventy in the North America Northwest Area. He has served as President of the South America West and South America Northwest Areas and as assistant in the North America Northeast and North America Southeast Areas. He has also served as an Assistant Executive Director in the Church History and Correlation Departments and as the Executive Director of the Correlation Department and as a member of the Boundary and Leadership Change Committee.
Elder Nash graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and earned a law degree from the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University. He was a partner in a major Seattle law firm at the time of his call as a Seventy.
Elder Nash has served in many Church callings, including fulltime missionary in the El Salvador San Salvador Mission, stake president, bishop, ward Young Men president, elder’s quorum president, and Gospel Doctrine teacher.
Marcus Bell Nash was born in Seattle, Washington, on March 26, 1957. He married Shelley Hatch in May 1979. They are the parents of five children.
Elder Vern P. Stanfill was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 4, 2015, at age 57. At the time of his call he had been serving as a member of the Sixth Quorum of the Seventy in the North America Central Area. He is currently serving as a member of the Africa West Area Presidency.
Elder Stanfill received a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics from Brigham Young
University in 1981. He started his career in managing the family ranch in large cattle, hay, and grain
operations. He sold this business in 1998 and became involved in managing family assets and trusts. During this time he was involved in managing a portfolio of real estate and financial instruments, as well as structuring philanthropic and estate matters. Elder Stanfill holds both commercial fixed wing and rotorcraft ratings and has been involved in aviation for both business and pleasure.
Elder Stanfill has served in a number of Church callings, including full-time missionary in the France Toulouse Mission, executive secretary, elder’s quorum president, bishop’s counselor, bishop, high councilor, stake president’s counselor, high priests group leader, and stake president.
Vern Perry Stanfill was born in Townsend, Montana, on August 8, 1957. He married
Alicia Cecile Cox in 1980. They are the parents of four children.