On Sunday, 30 June, Elder Peter F. Meurs, Pacific Area President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, announced that Paul Kaun had been called to be the new president of the Port Vila Vanuatu Stake of the Church. The announcement was made during the twice-yearly conference of the Port Vila Vanuatu Stake of the Church. A stake is a group of congregations.
President Kaun is succeeding Yvon Basil, who served in that leadership calling for the last nine years.
Paul Kaun Family Vanuatu June 2024 V2
President Kaun, his wife, Sereima, and their children, Randersen, Trelawney, Krystalina, and Berkingsly are accompanied by Elder Peter F. Meurs and Elder Robert H. Simpson. © 2024 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.A stake president is the lay leader of a stake, which is a geographic subdivision similar to a Catholic diocese. A stake president is a man who is asked to serve as a volunteer in this position. He oversees Church programs in a defined geographic area composed of individual congregations called wards and is responsible to help the members of his stake in their efforts to follow Jesus Christ. He also oversees the activities of the bishops or ward leaders, counseling them as needed.
Esron Vano and William Beohula were called to serve as counselors to President Kaun in the Port Vila Vanuatu Stake Presidency.
A house of the Lord, or temple, is being constructed in Port Vila. Currently, the closest house of the Lord for Vanuatu Latter-day Saints is in Suva, Fiji. Temples are sacred houses of worship where Church members participate in ceremonies or sacraments, called ordinances, that bind individuals to Jesus Christ through covenant, and unite families for eternity.