Joseph W. Sitati
Encyclopedia
Joseph Wafula Sitati has been a general authority
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since April 2009, when he became a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy. He is the first black
Africa
n general authority of the church and only the second general authority of black African descent.
Sitati is a native of Kenya
. He has a bachelor's degree
in mechanical engineering from the University of Nairobi
. He worked in the oil and gas industries (such as Total Oil) as well as for Reach the Children
, for which he was also a member of their international board. Immediately prior to his call as a mission president
in the LDS Church, Sitati was the director of public affairs for the church in Africa.
Sitati first attended the LDS Church in 1985 and became a member in March 1986. In 1989, he became the first district president
of the church in Kenya. Sitati also became the first stake president in Kenya when the Nairobi Kenya Stake was organized in 2001. On 3 December 1991, in the Johannesburg South Africa Temple
, Sitati and his wife and children became the first Kenyan family to receive the church's sealing ordinance. In 2004, Sitati became an area seventy of the church and in 2007 he became the president
of the Nigeria
Uyo
Mission
. He was still a mission president at the time of his call to the First Quorum of the Seventy in April 2009. Sitati addressed the entire LDS Church in an address delivered at the afternoon session of LDS General Conference on Sunday, October 4, 2009, where he stated the LDS Church was a "global faith."
Sitati and his wife Gladys are the parents of five children.
General authority
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a general authority is a member of certain leadership organizations who are given administrative and ecclesiastical authority over the church...
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since April 2009, when he became a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy. He is the first black
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n general authority of the church and only the second general authority of black African descent.
Sitati is a native of Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. He has a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in mechanical engineering from the University of Nairobi
University of Nairobi
The University of Nairobi is the largest university in Kenya. Although its history as an educational institution goes back to 1956, it did not become an independent university until 1970 when the University of East Africa was split into three independent universities: Makerere University in...
. He worked in the oil and gas industries (such as Total Oil) as well as for Reach the Children
Reach the Children
Reach the Children, Inc. is a not-for-profit humanitarian organization with headquarters in Fairport, NY that provides underprivileged African children opportunities for self-reliance by strengthening families and communities. It accomplishes this mission through a community development approach...
, for which he was also a member of their international board. Immediately prior to his call as a mission president
Mission president
Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . A mission president presides over a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission...
in the LDS Church, Sitati was the director of public affairs for the church in Africa.
Sitati first attended the LDS Church in 1985 and became a member in March 1986. In 1989, he became the first district president
District (LDS Church)
A district of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative unit composed of a number of congregations called branches. A district is a subdivision of a mission of the church and in many ways is analogous to a stake of the church. The leader of a district is the...
of the church in Kenya. Sitati also became the first stake president in Kenya when the Nairobi Kenya Stake was organized in 2001. On 3 December 1991, in the Johannesburg South Africa Temple
Johannesburg South Africa Temple
The Johannesburg South Africa Temple is the 36th operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.LDS Church leaders announced the building of a Temple in Parktown, Johannesburg, South Africa in April 1981. Groundbreaking took place on November 27, 1982. Enormous effort put into...
, Sitati and his wife and children became the first Kenyan family to receive the church's sealing ordinance. In 2004, Sitati became an area seventy of the church and in 2007 he became the president
Mission president
Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . A mission president presides over a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission...
of the Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
Uyo
Uyo
Uyo is a city in south-eastern Nigeria and is the capital of Akwa Ibom State, a major oil producing state of Nigeria. The city became a capital of Akwa Ibom State on September 23, 1987 following the creation of the state from Cross River State....
Mission
Mission (LDS Church)
A mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative area to which church missionaries are assigned. Almost all areas of the world are within the boundaries of an LDS Church mission, whether or not Mormon missionaries live or proselytize in the area...
. He was still a mission president at the time of his call to the First Quorum of the Seventy in April 2009. Sitati addressed the entire LDS Church in an address delivered at the afternoon session of LDS General Conference on Sunday, October 4, 2009, where he stated the LDS Church was a "global faith."
Sitati and his wife Gladys are the parents of five children.