A second stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized in the Marshall Islands recently to accommodate members living on the Kwajalein and Lae atolls.
The new stake is called the Kwajalein Marshall Islands Stake and is composed of five congregations. (A stake is a group of Latter-day Saint congregations in a geographical area, similar to a diocese in other Christian churches.)
Elder O. Vincent Haleck, General Authority Seventy and Pacific Area President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, made the announcement of the new stake in a weekend conference where Church members gathered to be spiritually uplifted and taught by Church leaders.
The leader of the new Kwajalein Marshall Islands Stake is President Johannes J. Seremai. His counsellors in the new stake presidency are President Anjok Michael and President Stimpson Kejai.
Elder Haleck was joined at the conference by Elder Adolf J. Johansson, a senior Church leader in the South Pacific who supports the Church in the Marshall Islands. He was also accompanied by President John L. Larkin and Sister Robyn Larkin who lead the Marshall Islands Majuro Mission.
The Republic of the Marshall Islands is an island country near the equator in middle of the Pacific Ocean and is part of the larger island group of Micronesia. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was first established there in 1977. There are currently more than 9,000 Church members in the Marshall Islands, approximately 11% of the population.