The Africa West Area Welcomes a new DTA

The Africa West Area Welcomes a new DTA

A pioneer of the Church in Africa West Area has become our new Director of Temporal Affairs in the Africa West Area.  Francis Kazeh-Anfo brings a wealth of personal experience in the development of the Church, which began when in 1978, as a young boy of 11, he was among one of the earliest groups baptized by the first missionaries who came to establish the Church in West Africa.  

Brother Kazeh-Anfo was born in Sekondi in the Western Region of Ghana.  When he was nine years old he and a friend were playing one Sunday when they heard drums and other instruments playing. Following the sound they came upon a building with a sign that read, ‘The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ where a woman stood before the group and preached from a book, the Book of Mormon. The boys enjoyed the experience and returned every Sunday from that time on. It wasn’t until 2 years later, on December 12, 1978, that the 129 people of that congregation met with Elders Cannon and Mabey. The congregation was baptized and confirmed, and were officially organized as a branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Today, that small nucleus of saints has grown into 2 stakes with over 4,000 members.

Through the years since then, Brother Kazeh-Anfo has been an eye witness to the incredible expansion of the Church in West Africa.  After graduating college with a degree in Civil Engineering, Brother Kazeh-Anfo was hired as the Assistant Project Manager for the construction of the Accra Ghana Temple and other buildings on the temple complex. Upon their completion, he was made the Facilities Manager for the temple complex. Two and a half years later, he became the Area Project Manager overseeing the Meetinghouse Construction program of the Church in West Africa. After serving for two years in that capacity, Brother Kazeh-Anfo was appointed the Area Physical Facilities Manager responsible for the Real Estate Division, which finds property for chapels and other buildings.  He also worked in the Construction Division, where he was responsible for overseeing the construction of Meetinghouses.  In addition, he worked in the Operations and Maintenance Division, responsible for the day-to-day maintenance and operations of Meetinghouses.  Lastly, he worked in the Planning Division that plans for the entire Physical Facilities. 

Five and a half years later Brother Kazeh-Anfo was asked to relocate to the Africa Southeast Area office to serve as the Assistant Director for Temporal Affairs where he was responsible for the Welfare, Self-Reliance, Publishing Services and Materials Management departments, as well as overseeing the Area Service Centers in Kenya and Democratic Republic of the Congo.  Through these assignments, Brother Kazeh-Anfo has visited almost every country in Western, Eastern and Southern Africa, which has given him a broad understanding of the workings and needs of the Church on this continent. 

In June of 2015, Brother Kazeh-Anfo, his wife, Mavis, and three children were asked to move to Salt Lake City, Utah to receive Head Quarters Leadership Experiences under the direction of the Presiding Bishopric. In this capacity he witnessed the marvelous workings of the Church on a global scale, and saw the hand of God moving across the earth to accomplish his purposes. He has returned with a wealth of experience and knowledge that will greatly benefit the Lord’s kingdom in the Africa West Area.  His role as Director for Temporal Affairs is to be a bridge between the ecclesiastical and temporal arms of the Church. The physical infrastructure needs to be in place for worship and the teaching of the gospel, and it is his job to manage all the needs and resources to support this.

When asked what his goals and vision for the future are he stated that, first and foremost, he will support the Area Plan set forth by the Area Presidency /africa-west-area-plan-2016). In addition, he will work to put the people and Church in the Africa West Area on the path to self-sufficiency, to develop the ability to ‘stand on its own legs’.  It is a long term goal, but seeing the incredible progress in the church here over the last 38 years since it was established he knows that, “with God all things are possible.”

“with God all things are possible.”

We of the Africa West Area express our gratitude and support for him in the noble task ahead and welcome him and his family back home.