SALT LAKE CITY — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Friday Bishop Gérald Caussé has been named as the new Presiding Bishop of the LDS Church, filling the role formerly held by Gary E. Stevenson, who was recently called to serve in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Dean M. Davies will serve as the first counselor in the new Presiding Bishopric, and W. Christopher Waddell has been named as the second counselor. The First Presidency of the LDS Church made the announcement Friday, but they stated there would be a transition period.
Bishop Gérald Caussé, Presiding Bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Image courtesy Mormonnewsroom.org
Bishop Gérald Caussé
Bishop Gérald Caussé, 52, of France, previously served as a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy and as a counselor in the Europe Area Presidency, according to Mormonnewsroom.org. Caussé is the third Presiding Bishop for the LDS Church born outside of the United States, and the first for whom English is a second language.
Bishop Caussé has a master’s degree in business from the ESSEC Business School in France, and his career was in the food industry prior to his service with the LDS Church. Born in Bordeaux, France on May 20 of 1963, he has been married to Valérie Lucienne Babin since 1986. The couple has five children and five grandchildren.
Bishop Dean M. Davies, first counselor, Presiding Bishopric of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Image courtesy Mormonnewsroom.org.
Bishop Dean M. Davies
Bishop Dean M. Davies was formerly the second counselor in the Presiding Bishopric under Elder Stevenson, and the man has been employed by the LDS Church in various assignments since 1995, with his most recent work being managing director of the Special Projects Department, which oversees things like temple design and construction as well as special-purpose real estate.
Davies earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics at BYU and has completed advanced executive programs at Stanford and Northwestern. Davies served as a mission president in the Puerto Rico San Juan mission and speaks fluent Spanish.
Born in Salt Lake City on September 5, 1951, he has been married to Darla James since 1973. The couple has five children and 14 grandchildren.
Bishop W. Christopher Waddell, second counselor, Presiding Bishopric of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Image courtesy Mormonnewsroom.org
Bishop W. Christopher Waddell
Bishop W. Christopher Waddell previously served as a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy, a position he’s held since April of 2011. He holds a bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University and worked for Merril Lynch in various positions, including first vice president of investments, before serving in LDS Church leadership.
Waddell was born in Los Angeles June 28, 1959, and he has been married to Carol Stansel since 1984. The couple has four children and three grandchildren, and the family currently lives in Lima, Peru, where Waddell is serving as a counselor in the South America Northwest Area Presidency. Waddell will continue to serve in Peru for a time until his responsibilities there are assumed by others, according to Mormonnewsroom.org.
