News Story

Elder Clayton Leads Historical Training for East Africa’s Mormon Leaders 

The training revolved around leadership skills and how church leaders can have Jesus Christ at the centre of their ministry.

Over 100 Mormon leaders from Kenya and Tanzania gathered at the beautiful LDS Chapel in Upperhill, Nairobi, to receive training from Elder L. Whitney Clayton of the Presidency of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The training revolved around leadership skills and how Church leaders can have Jesus Christ at the centre of their ministry. Elder Clayton was accompanied in giving instructions by President Gary C. Hicken who presides over the Kenya Nairobi Mission. That mission covers the territories of Kenya and Tanzania and supervises over 80 young missionaries and Senior Couple Missionaries. Elder Kevin S. Hamilton was also present. Elder Hamilton is a member of the Southeast Area Presidency of the Church which covers several southern and eastern African countries.

This meeting was indeed historical given the number of priesthood leaders who attended. President Dominic Kogo, who presides over the Eldoret District of the Church comprising ten congregations, ran updates on his facebook page before and after the training.

The meeting touched on Sabbath Day observance, fasting and teaching in church councils. There were also questions and answers period touching on several doctrine and church administration issues.

Elder L. Whitney Clayton was sustained as a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on March 31, 2001. He has served as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy since 2008 and has supervisory responsibility for the Utah North, Utah Salt Lake City, and Utah South Areas. He assists Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in supervising the Africa Southeast and Africa West Areas. He also serves as a member of the Public Affairs Committee.

Elder Clayton has visited the East Africa region before, with his last visit coming when he accompanied Elder Bednar on a regional tour in 2014. The Church is steadily growing in Kenya and Tanzania, with total congregations in Kenya approaching the 50 total milestone. Tanzania has six congregations in Dar es Salaam, Arusha and Mwanza. There are over 15,000 members of the Church in Kenya and Tanzania.

President Kogo observed after the trainings, “Elder Clayton is a great teacher of the Gospel and he carries with him a sweet spirit. I was very much impressed by his powerful explanation of the order of the Church.”

Elder Clayton also held meetings with missionaries and adult members of the Church in Nairobi.

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