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5 general authorities called to serve full time

Published: Saturday, March 31, 2007
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Five new general authorities were called to full-time service and other changes among Area Authority Seventies were announced Saturday during the 177th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Called to serve in the First Quorum of the Seventy are: Elder Enrique R. Falabella, Santa Catarina Pinula, Guatemala; Elder Erich W. Kopischke, Usingen, Germany; Elder Michael J. Teh, Angono, Rizal, Philippines; Elder Octaviano Tenorio, Cuautitlan Izcalli, Mexico; and Elder Claudio D. Zivic, Haedo, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

  • Elder Falabella, 56, has served as an area seventy in the Central Amer- ica Area and as a member of the Fourth Quorum of the Seventy, where he served as president of the Central America Area. He has also served the church as a regional representative, stake president, bishop and stake mission president. He earned a degree in agronomy from the University of San Carols in Guatemala and worked in the pharmaceutical industry prior to his call to full-time church service. He married Blanca Lidia Sanchez, and they are the parents of five children.

  • Elder Kopischke, 50, has served as second counselor in the Europe Central Area presidency and as a bishop's counselor, branch president, high councilor, district president, stake president and president of the Germany Berlin Mission. He worked in the insurance industry and as an area director for the Church Educational System in Frankfurt, Germany. He married Christiane Gluck, and they are the parents of seven children.

  • Elder Teh, 41, was serving as second counselor in the Philippines Area presidency. He has also served the church as a bishop's counselor, bishop, stake president's counselor, high councilor and mission president's counselor. He earned a bachelor's degree in business administration at De La Salle University and was employed as the recorder of the Manila Philippines Temple. He married Grace May Weedon, and they are the parents of three children.

  • Elder Tenorio, 64, served as second counselor in the Mexico South Area presidency and has also served as a stake mission president, stake president's counselor, stake president, regional representative and president of the Mexico Tuxtla Gutierrez Mission. He earned a certificate in accounting and business from the Academia Practica de Comercio and worked in the petroleum and publishing industries before his employment in a number of management assignments for the church. He is married to Rosa Elva Valenzuela Gonzalez, and they are the parents of five children.

  • Elder Zivic, 58, served as second counselor in the South America South Area presidency. He has also been president of the Spain Bilbao Mission, a regional representative, stake president's counselor, high councilor, bishop and bishop's counselor. He is a certified public accountant and received an accounting degree from the University of Buenos Aires. He worked in the manufacturing and marketing fields. He married Dina Noemi Alvarez, and they are the parents of five children.

    Also sustained Saturday were 46 Area Authority Seventies, who give volunteer support for members of the church's area presidencies within their assigned geographic areas.

    They are: Richard K. Ahadjie, 52, Accra, Ghana; Ruben V. Alliaud, 41, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Climato C.A. Almeida, 44, Vitoria, Brazil; Sergio M. Anaya, 45, Zapopan, Mexico; Wilford W. Andersen, 57, Mesa, Arizona; Fernando J.D. Araujo, 50, Curitiba, Brazil; Nolan D. Archibald, 63, Potomac, Md.; Carlos L. Astorga, 46, Guatemala City; Hector Avila, 45, Celaya, Mexico; Marvin T. Brinkerhoff, 59, Beaverton, Ore.

    Also, M. Anthony Burns, 64, Miami; David Cabrera, 44, Naucalpan, Mexico; Rafael E. Castro, 45, La Ceiba, Honduras; Gerald J. Causse, 43, Seine, France; Robert E. Chambers, 46, Pocatello; Yoon Hwan Choi, 49, Seoul, South Korea; Kim B. Clark, 58, Rexburg, Idaho; David L. Cook, 49, Pittsford, N.Y.; Nelson D. Cordova, 48, Commerce, Calif.; Gary L. Crittenden, 53, New Canaan, Conn.; and Stephen L. Fluckiger, 55, Sunnyvale, Texas.

    Also, Jovencio A. Guanzon, 55, Manila, Philippines; Mario E. Guerra, 54, Santiago, Chile; Luis S. Hernandez, 40, Tijuana, Mexico; Garith C. Hill, 52, Hillcrest, South Africa; Frederick C. Ihesiene, 63, Aba, Nigeria; David H. Ingram, 61, Newnan, Georgia; Tetsuji Ishii, 56, Toyohashi, Japan; Kapumba T. Kola, 54,

    Kinshasa, Congo; Richard K. Melchin, 60, Calgary, Canada; R. Bruce Merrell, 61, Mercer Island, Wash.; Peter F. Meurs, 50, Kingsley, Australia; Benson E. Misalucha, 44, Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines; Enrique J. Montoya, 46, Trujillo, Peru; K. Brett Nattress, 42, Fruitland, Idaho.

    Also, Russell T. Osguthorpe, 60, Provo; Gamaliel Osorno, 48, Caracas, Venezuela; Patrick H. Price, 61, Salt Lake City; Paulo R. Puerta, 60, Sao Paulo, Brazil; Ruben L. Spitale, 48, Cordoba, Argentina; Nata C. Tobias, 49, Barroca, Brazil; Frank V. Trythall, 59, Granite Bay, Calif.; Terence M. Vinson, 56, Kenthurst, Australia; Taniela B. Wakolo, 39, Suva, Fiji; Richard W. Wheeler, 52, Ephraim, Utah; and Scott D. Whiting, 45, Kailua, Hawaii.

    Released from part-time service as Area Authority Seventies were: D. Allen Andersen, C. Elmer Black, Ildefonso de Castro Deus, Oscar W. Chavez, Hector A. Davalos, Carlos R. Fernandez, Carlos J. Garcia, John R. Gibson, Jose L. Gonzalez, Paulo Grahl, Beaver T. Ho Ching, Emmanuel A. Kissi, Erich W. Kopischke, G. Steven Laney, Barry Lee, James B. McDonald, Gerald A. Mead, Jorge Mendez, Rodrigo Myrrha, Carlos A. Perez, Richard G. Peterson, Eric B. Shumway, Joseph W. Sitati, A. Kim Smith, W. Blake Sonne, Gary M. Stewart, Michael J. Teh, Robert B. White and John W. Yardley.

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