Conrad Knudson, president of the Lancaster Pennsylvania Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has announced the calling of a new bishopric to oversee the congregation and to administrate the affairs of the West York Ward, 2100 Hollywood Drive, York Township.
Ryan Mair of West Manchester Township will officiate as the new bishop of the West York Ward. Bishop Mair is married to Emberlin Mair, and they have four children. He formerly served as the Scoutmaster in his ward, and he will replace Jeffrey Ohl as bishop.
Chris Smith of York Township will serve as the bishopric first counselor in the West York Ward. He formerly was a high councilman, an executive position in the Lancaster Stake. Smith and his wife, Tina, have five children.
Dale Coats of West Manchester Township will serve as the bishopric second counselor. He and his wife, Sue, moved to Pennsylvania from Utah for work more than 13 years ago. They have three children. Previously, Coats was the first counselor in the Lancaster Stake Young Men's Organization.
A bishop generally serves upward of four to seven years in the bishopric, devoting a good deal of his time to perform the duties of the office, and just as all callings in the Church are part of a lay ministry, the bishopric positions are unpaid and filled by men who have prepared themselves to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with others. While serving as the bishop of a large ward or the branch president of a small ward, the bishop generally continues to pursue his career in the community, or he may be retired. He must be married, and he also must be a high priest in the Melchizedek priesthood.
Sometimes the bishop is called the "father of the ward" because he is the individual most closely involved in working with the congregation. The stake president is the immediate priesthood leader over the bishop, and he operates with two counselors and a high council. While the stake president recommends a new bishop, the bishop is approved by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' First Presidency of Salt Lake City, Utah. A new bishopric is accepted by the common consent of ward members, and the bishop and his counselors are then set apart by the laying on of hands by those priesthood members in authority over them.
Many of the bishopric members have prepared themselves for their positions by attending four years of seminary classes as young men and by serving a two-year mission. They generally have studied Scripture daily, have accepted a variety of callings, and have attended church faithfully throughout their years as members of the Church.
Other men who have been called to assist the bishop are Ward executive secretary Brian Malcarne; Ward clerk Andy Smith; and Ward assistant clerk for finance Timothy Shetter.
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