Elder Ian Ardern has officially begun his new duties as president of the Africa Central Area of the Church.
Through a statement, the church said General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be assisted by Elder Thierry Mutombo, First Counselor, and Paul B. Pieper, Second Counselor.
"This assignment marks the third time Ardern has served as president of one of the Church’s 23 geographic areas worldwide. Between 2017 and 2022, he served in the Pacific Area presidency," the statement reads.
Prior to his current assignment, Ardern had been serving as second counselor in the Africa Central Area presidency since August 2022.
The Africa Central Area includes 17 countries, of which 11 have a church presence.
Most of the area’s nearly 180,000 members live in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (63%) followed by Uganda (13%), Kenya (11%), and Republic of Congo (7%).
"The remaining 6% of members live, in descending order, in Tanzania, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Burundi, Rwanda, Gabon, and Central African Republic."
Elder Ardern has also served as an Area Seventy (2010-11), president of the Fiji Suva Mission (2005-2008), counselor in a stake presidency, bishop, and full-time missionary in the France-Belgium Mission (1973-75).
Born on February 28, 1954, Arden joined the Church at age 8 when the missionaries taught his family.
“The work of the Lord rolls forward through the effort of His faithful disciples. I count myself as one of those faithful disciples and with so many others in the Africa Central Area, I am committed to building up the Church, and teaching and testifying of Jesus Christ as the Saviour of the world," he said.