President of the Church
Stephen M. Veazey
Office: +1 (816) 833-1000 ext. 3038
Stephen M. Veazey is president of Community of Christ. Prior to his ordination on June 3, 2005, he served as a member of the Council of Twelve Apostles, the leading missionary quorum of Community of Christ. He is the eighth president of the church and the second who is not a direct descendant of church founder Joseph Smith Jr.
He was ordained as president of seventy at the 1988 World Conference and as an apostle at the 1992 World Conference. In April 2002, Steve was set apart as president of the Council of Twelve and was the director of Field Ministries. His responsibilities also included Church Planting Ministries and Young Adult and Campus Ministries.
His past assignments include missionary and administrative work in the Southern USA Mission Field; the Africa/East Central Field; the Ontario, South Central, and East Central Regions; apostle for Spectacular; Outreach Ministries commissioner; the North Central Region; Advanced Leadership Studies at International Headquarters; and African American Ministries.
Born in Tennessee, he received a bachelor of science in biology from the University of Tennessee, and a master of arts in religion from Park College, Parkville, Missouri.
Steve was an executive minister to the Fremont Congregation in California, and was in charge of a missionary development project for the San Francisco Bay Stake.
Steve’s other church activities include serving as young adult minister to the Pacific Northwest Region; director of youth camps and seminars; field associate for a young adult campus ministries office; presiding elder; and counselor to the pastor in Paris, Tennessee.
Community of Christ has 250,000 members in more than 60 nations. The church’s mission is to “proclaim Jesus Christ and promote communities of joy, hope, love, and peace.”
Community of Christ International Headquarters is located in Independence, Missouri, USA.