Historic Day - Local Leadership Sustained

 Historic Day in Grahamstown Branch

Sunday was a historic day for the Grahamstown Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  For the first time the saints in this part of the vineyard will be led by an all local branch presidency.  On January 27^th, Stephen I. Wood, President of the Cape Town mission, called Zukani Badaza, who has served as a counselor to three former branch presidents, to be branch president.  President Zukani called Kaia Ketani (left) to serve as his first counselor, and Solomon Nathan Johnson (right) as second counselor.  Elder Thomas Stokoe will serve as Executive Secretary and continue to commute between Grahamstown and Port Elizabeth covering his Perpetual Education Fund responsibilities. Bulewa Kewuti (left) and Amanda Ntlanjeni (right) have completed the Planning for Success Workshop taught by Sister Stokoe and received the certificates of completion required to receive PEF loans.

Planning for Success Class

As it is the intent of the church to build the local leadership, the calling of Zukani Badaza as president was well received by the 134 members of the branch.  Sister Zukani is a member of the Relief Society Presidency and works extracting names for the Church History Department.  Nathan Johnson is a member of the academic community.  He teaches math and science at a local high school and is currently completing his master’s degree.