CHURCH doors will be held open as new Church of Latter Day Saints Northern Tasmanian stake president, Lionel Walters, is welcomed to the top regional role.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
At only 33 years of age, Mr Walters said he was about 20 years younger than most chosen for the lay ministry position.
"There's a process with this particular calling, whereby two of our worldwide leaders come to meet with about 20 or so potential candidates," he said.
"It's a process of very brief interviews - mine was probably about five minutes. They meet with each other and, in our terminology, wait on the Lord to see who the next presence will be."
Mr Walters said he was "overwhelmed" to discover his successful application for the role.
"I have a desire to serve and a willingness to do what I'm called to do," he said.
"It eats up a lot of your discretionary time, but it's tremendously rewarding."
As president of the North, Mr Walters will be responsible for conducting marriage and funeral ceremonies.
He said his first drive would be to shine light on the church's available community facilities and services.
"A lesser-known fact about the church is that our buildings and ministers operate for free," Mr Walters said.
"Our buildings for funerals, weddings, for members and non- members of the church, are free.
"We're part of the community. It's something we can do to give back to the communities where we're established."
He said a worldwide Easter broadcast of Handel's Messiah, performed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, would be televised at 153 Emu Bay Road from 7pm on April 19.