On Sunday 5 June 2016, the new leadership of Sydney Australia Penrith Stake (the equivalent of a diocese) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized in Minchinbury, NSW. Bradley Wood, 53, of Claremont Meadows, NSW was called as Stake President, succeeding Scott McKeown who has served in this calling for nine years. President Wood will be supported by Lynden Cowell, 62, of Horsely Park, NSW as First Counsellor and Brett Langley, 52, of Grose Vale, City of Hawkesbury, NSW as Second Counsellor. President Wood himself was a counsellor to President McKeown prior to his call.
President Wood was born in Hamilton, New Zealand while his parents were on a labour mission for the Church. He and his wife, Solange, who is a nurse, have three children and six grandchildren. President Wood is a pest control services manager.
1st Counsellor Lynden Cowell, Sydney Australia Penrith Stake President Brad Wood and 2nd Counsellor Brett Langley
President Cowell and his wife Jane run their own accounting firm, and they are the parents of four children and have ten grandchildren. They live in Horsely Park, NSW. At the time of his call, President Cowell was serving as a counsellor in the Minchinbury Ward bishopric.
President Langley has just earned his Bachelor of Applied Science in Architectural Science from Curtin University after working for several years in property development. He is married to Meredith, who is a beauty therapist and runs her own business, and they are the parents of three children. At the time of his call to the Stake Presidency, President Langley was serving as the Bishop of the Richmond Ward in the Penrith Stake.
Area Authority Seventy Daniel G. Hamilton, Lynden Cowell, President Brad Wood, Brett Langley and Elder S. Gifford Nielsen of the Pacific Area Presidency
The Church has lay ministry, meaning the leaders of the Church do not get paid and volunteer their time to serve others.
The Sydney Australia Penrith Stake has almost 2400 members of the Church, who meet in six congregations in Claremont Meadows, Emu Plains, Leura, Minchinbury, Penrith and Richmond, and their surrounding suburbs.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a worldwide Church with current membership of more than 15 million. The Pacific Area membership exceeds 500,000 with approximately 1000 congregations.
For many decades the Church has been the fastest growing Christian religion in Australia and throughout the world. Its fundamental teachings centre around the importance of the family unit as the foundation of society, the eternal nature of the family, and the importance of living a life based on following the gospel and example of Jesus Christ.