Here are a few bits and pieces of information John shared in his homecoming talk about the Europe Central Area and our work here.
Ann and I have been serving in the Europe Central Area Office in Frankfurt, Germany. We served as communication specialists with another senior missionary couple in the Church Communication Dept, working alongside three full-time Church Communication employees. Our job was to increase understanding of the Church, build relationships with opinion leaders, and extend the reach of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was an exciting and dynamic assignment that regularly brought something new and unexpected.
-The administration of the Church is organized into 23 Areas around the world, 17 outside of North America.
-European continent divided into 3 Areas: Europe Central, Europe North and Eurasia.
-37 countries, from Spain in the west to Tajikistan in the east. In some countries the Church is well established, in some developing, in some emerging.
-29 official languages; Church materials are produced in 22 of these languages
-About 226,000 members of the Church (45,000 with no contact information)
-64 Stakes
-10 Districts
-20 Missions
-Temples: 7 operating, 6 announced (Milan last conference)
-Workforce in the Area
-650 employees, including those that work remotely
-265 employees who work in the Area Office
-75 volunteers (senior missionaries, service missionaries)
-English is the official language of the Area office, but employees speak 35 native languages
-In Translation Services: 90 employees & 200 contract workers located across Europe
-Even though the Church was first established in Europe in 1837, it is surprisingly unknown. It’s been exciting to witness firsthand how the Church is slowly coming out of obscurity throughout Europe. Missionary work, temples, FamilySearch, and welfare and self-reliance efforts (humanitarian, family services, education & employment self-reliance).
We loved being able to share what the Church is doing in these and other areas, mainly through creating news releases and social media posts in 20+ languages of the Area and organizing special events. We have a whole new appreciation for what it takes to share the news of the Church in a localized way that is meaningful and relevant for people living throughout the 37 countries of the—members and non-members alike.
In addition to our service in the Area Office, Ann and I were blessed to serve in a small German-speaking branch in Offenbach, just outside the Frankfurt boundaries. We loved getting to know this little group of Saints and ministering among them. On a good Sunday, about 35 members would attend, along with four senior missionary couples, two sets of young missionaries, and normally up to ten friends of the Church, who were meeting with the young missionaries to learn more about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Most of these friends were not native German-speakers but were trying to learn the language now that they were establishing their lives in Germany. They spoke Turkish, Persian, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, and other languages. It wasn’t uncommon to see them listening to the talks and lessons with the help of Google Translate on their cell phones. Ann and I were so impressed that these people came week after week because of what they heard and felt during the Church services. It was clear to us that the Spirit was speaking to their hearts. They felt it, even though they didn’t always understand the words.
One of the most satisfying aspects of our Church Communication assignment was to work closely with the 14 national communication directors who were called by their respective Area Seventies. These are women and men of great capacity and great faith, most of them converts to the Church. Their Church Communication calling is really a full-time job and they have their hands full working to increase understanding of the Church in their local countries. Ann and I were assigned as Area contacts for the national directors in France, Belgium, and The Netherlands.
Our Frankfurt Germany Mission 