Leeds England Stake

Dear Brothers and Sisters of the Leeds Stake,

I am pleased to introduce myself as your new Stake President. Raised in the Billingham Stake, I have cherished the gospel of Jesus Christ from a young age. My faith has grown from a childhood belief to a firm conviction of the Church's truthfulness. My mission in London South was transformative

I am married to Amy (Hancock), and we are blessed with three wonderful children: Lilly, Isaac, and Reuben. We have spent most of our married lives in the Leeds 3rd Ward and have come to love this stake and its members.

We follow in the footsteps of a remarkable previous stake presidency, whose service we are grateful for. I have had the opportunity and privilege to get to know and serve alongside previous stake presidents of this stake; Ian Hancock, Bennett Steele, Rob Dryden, James Stewart, and James Whitehead, who are men I aspire to be like.  

I am grateful to President Orchard and President Flinn for their willingness to serve as counsellors in the stake presidency. Their dedication and faith are invaluable as we embark on this journey together.

Though our tenure has just begun, we have already felt the Lord's guidance and are ready to receive His revelations. We feel a profound calling to prepare spiritually and temporally for the return of Jesus Christ, and I testify of His imminent coming.

It is an honour to serve you, and I pledge to do so with all the energy of my heart and soul. I love you and this great stake of Zion.

With love,

President Adam Craig

Dear Brothers and Sisters of the Leeds Stake

I am delighted to share some information about myself as the first counsellor of the newly organised Leeds Stake Presidency.

I was born and raised in South Africa. My parents met the missionaries and joined the Church when I was a baby, so I was fortunate to be raised in the Church. My Dad was not active in the Church for all of my growing up years, so I owe the blessing of being raised in the Church to a faithful Mom, who kept going, even when it was difficult. Thankfully, my Dad returned to activity when I was a Young Single Adult and we were sealed as a family.

I had the wonderful experience of serving a mission in the South Africa Durban Mission, and thereafter became reacquainted, at a Young Single Adult Convention, with an amazing fellow returned missionary from my mission, Melanie, and we became friends, courted and later married.

Our children are Jenna and Adam, and our son-in-law Lee. Sadly, Adam passed away shortly before his thirteenth birthday, after being profoundly ill for ten years.

Seeking out and having good friends has always been a great blessing in my life, and their influence has impacted me for good.

I am qualified as a Chartered Accountant and a Lawyer, and have spent the bulk of my career in the management of law firms.

Over the years I have served in various ward and stake callings, including having served as a Bishop.

We moved to England, Melanie’s birthplace, in 2022 to be closer to our family, and settled in Leeds in 2023.

I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ live and that Jesus Christ suffered, died and was resurrected, thereby making it possible for us to receive eternal life. I have a great love for them and for the Church of Jesus Christ and know that it is true. Growing up in the Church I used to wonder if I had a testimony of the truthfulness of it, as I had not had a singular ‘conversion moment’. Over time I came to realize that I had always known it was true and that everything that I had experienced in the Church had served to, and continues to, reinforce that knowledge.

Living the gospel and serving make me happy. I look forward to serving together with Presidents Craig and Flinn, wonderful men who I know have been called of God to lead the Stake at this time.

In a short time I have really come to love the members of the Leeds Stake, and I look forward to getting to know you better and serve you in the months and years to come.

With much love,

President Wayne Orchard

Dear Brothers and Sisters of the Leeds Stake,

I’d like to share a little information about myself as the second counsellor of the new Leeds Stake Presidency.

I was born and raised in Nottingham, in a family that loved the gospel and worked hard to build the kingdom there. Three of my four grandparents were converts to the church and I was lucky to be raised in the ward they all attended.

I served as a missionary in Salt Lake City, Utah. Missionary work was very fruitful there and I loved serving where the church was so strong, however I always knew that England was my home and that I wanted to strengthen the church in my homeland.

I was studying down south when I met Hannah who was in Leeds 1st Ward, studying at Leeds University. The next thing you know, I’m doing a Masters in Leeds! Hannah’s studies took her to France, then I studied in Sweden. This was followed by Hannah serving as a missionary in South Africa. Finally on my 30th birthday we were married in the Preston Temple.

I had spent my time up to this stage in Leeds 5 Branch and love the members and treasure the experiences we had together during those years. Upon getting married, we moved to Wharfe Valley Ward where we currently live with our four children, Asher, Harriet, Vivienne and Florence.

Many of you will remember that our twin daughters Hattie and Viv were born very prematurely and we are forever grateful for the love, prayers and fasting that members of the Stake offered during that time. While that experience was a time of testing and faith, it now feels like a distant memory as the twins approach their 11th birthday.

Having been born in the covenant my conversion has been subtle. I have always known the church is true and have always felt the influence of the Saviour on my life and family. As I continue to learn and grow, I am better able to understand and appreciate the magnitude of things I have always known.

I have a strong testimony that the gospel of Jesus Christ and His church on the earth will have a profound impact in our day to day lives and into eternity if we fully engage with it. I look forward to working alongside you as we seek to build Zion together here in the Leeds Stake.

Love

President John Flinn