The of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced the 2025–26 area leadership assignments, including the names of leaders for the newly created Canada Area, which was announced in December 2024. The Canada Area Presidency for 2025–26 consists of Elder Vern P. Stanfill, President; Elder D. Martin Goury, First Counsellor; and Elder James E. Evanson, Second Counsellor.
The Canada Area Office will be in or near Calgary, Alberta. Some area functions will be administered from an office in or near Toronto, Ontario.
Elder Vern P. Stanfill
Elder Vern P. Stanfill was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 4, 2015. He is currently serving in the Caribbean Area Presidency. He previously served in the Africa West Area Presidency and on a number of committee assignments at Church headquarters. Elder Stanfill has also served in the North America Northeast and North America Southeast Area Presidencies.
Elder Stanfill has served in a number of Church callings, including full-time missionary in the France Toulouse Mission, executive secretary, elders quorum president, counsellor in a bishopric, bishop, high councillor, counsellor in a stake presidency, high priests group leader and stake president.
Elder Stanfill received a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from Brigham Young University in 1981. He started his career managing his family’s ranch, which involved cattle, hay and grain operations. He sold this business in 1998 and became involved in managing family assets and trusts. He has managed a portfolio of real estate and financial instruments and structured philanthropic and estate matters.
Vern Perry Stanfill was born in Townsend, Montana, on August 8, 1957. He married Alicia Cecile Cox in December 1980. They are the parents of four children.
Elder D. Martin Goury
Elder D. Martin Goury was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the April 2024 general conference. At the time of his call, he had been serving as a member of the Third Quorum of the Seventy in the Africa West Area.
Elder Goury has served in a number of Church callings, including elders quorum president, counsellor in a bishopric, branch president, bishop, and president of the Benin Cotonou Mission.
Elder Goury received a Bachelor of Science degree in teaching from CAFOP de Man in 1988 and a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree from London South Bank University in 1997. He has worked as a primary school teacher, a design engineer for Flexitallic Ltd., a senior project manager and deputy project director for Cameron, a general manager of Nigeria operations for OneSubsea Services and country operations manager for Schlumberger. Most recently, he has worked for the Church as a leader and member support coordinator.
Dalébé Martin Goury was born in Gagnoa, Côte d’Ivoire, on January 30, 1964. He married Ruth Simone Kennington in 1995. They are the parents of four children.
Elder James E. Evanson
Elder James E. Evanson was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the April 2025 general conference. He had previously served as a member of the Sixth Quorum of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 2015 to 2020.
Elder Evanson has served in a number of Church callings, including full-time missionary in the Arizona Tempe Mission, ward Young Men president, elders quorum president, stake Young Men president, high councillor, stake president and president of the Utah Orem Mission.
Elder Evanson received a Bachelor of Science degree in dental materials in 1993 and a Doctor of Dental Surgery in 1995, both from the University of Alberta. Elder Evanson has maintained a general dental practice in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, since 1995.
James Eugene Evanson was born in Taber, Alberta, Canada, on August 16, 1968. He married Jody Karil Zobell in 1989. They are the parents of five children. Elder and Sister Evanson reside in Lethbridge.
Area Leadership
Members of Area Presidencies are General Authority Seventies or Area Seventies. Area Presidencies consist of a president and two counsellors who operate from area offices in each assigned area.
The First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles preside over all affairs of the Church. “The Seventy are to act in the name of the Lord, under the direction of the Twelve … in building up the Church and regulating all the affairs of the same in all nations” (see Doctrine and Covenants 107:34).
There are 24 areas in the Church of Jesus Christ — seven that span the United States and Canada, and 17 additional areas outside of those two countries.
Download a Church News PDF of the 2025–26 area leadership assignments. (See the current 2024–25 area leadership assignments here and in this downloadable chart.)