Kendal Wake was recently ordained as Bishop, or the ecclesiastical leader, of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the Sequim Bay congregation (ward) of the Church.

Bishop Wake succeeds Bishop Douglas King, who served for more than five years — a typical term of service, church representatives said.

Bishop Wake will be assisted by two counselors: Michael Musick and Daniel Robinson. Together the leaders oversee the spiritual and social needs of the Sequim Bay members, a geographical area of the Sequim community roughly east of Fifth Avenue extending to Blyn.

The Ward, one of two located in Sequim, has about 475 members.

In the Latter-day Saint Church, a bishop leads the local congregation with duties similar to those of a pastor, priest, or rabbi. The bishop is a member of the congregation who has been asked by church authorities to serve; the position is unpaid.

In addition to spiritual matters, the bishop oversees church programs to help members become more self-reliant. He also works directly with the youth, encouraging them to grow and develop into “spiritual, well-adjusted, and productive adults,” church members said.

Wake has previously served as Young Men’s President, Scout Master, Bishopric Counselor, and High Counselor. As a young adult, he served a full-time mission in Toronto, Canada.

A native of Idaho, Wake moved to Sequim 20 years ago with his wife, Aleta and their five children. They now have 10 grandchildren. He works as a medical dosimetrist at Olympic Medical Center’s Cancer Center. He loves the Olympic Peninsula, with its many outdoor activities.

Musick, a Washington state native, served a full-time mission for the Church in Alabama before raising his family with his wife Kathy in Enumclaw. The Musicks have four children and five grandchildren living across Washington, Colorado and Tennessee. They enjoy church service, attending the Temple in Bellevue, and hiking together.

Robinson, an Idaho native, served a full-time mission in the New Hampshire Manchester Mission, which serves Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. He and his wife Lindsey, married in 2023, and chose Sequim for their employment at Olympic Medical Center as exercise physiologists in cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation, and the Olympic Peninsula’s natural setting and outdoor activities. He has served previously as ward executive secretary, elder’s quorum president, Sunday school teacher, Sunday school president, elder’s quorum instructor and ward clerk.

The Church has no paid clergy, and members of the bishopric will continue in their professional careers while serving.

Sunday services for the Sequim Bay Ward are held at noon at 815 W. Washington St. The Dungeness Ward, whose boundaries are roughly west of Fifth Avenue to Agnew, meets in the same building, starting at 9 a.m.

Dungeness Relief Society installs new president

Tonna Bourns was recently called as president of the Relief Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Dungeness Ward, or congregation.

What began in 1842 as a ladies’ sewing society in Nauvoo (Illinois), Relief Society has become one of the largest women’s organizations in the world with more than 7 million members, aged 18 and older, in 188 countries.

The purpose of Relief Society is to help women increase their faith in Jesus Christ, strengthen families, learn principles of self-reliance, and provide relief to those in need.

Bourns will serve with two counselors and a secretary, to coordinate and plan the activities of and ministering to the about 220 adult female members within the Dungeness congregation. These acts of service often include transportation, meals in case of emergencies such as illness, and have occasionally included hospice care.

The Relief Society women also combine with the men’s and youth’s organizations to do work such as yard care, childcare, and helping families when they move. Bourns replaces outgoing president Janell Heintz, who served as president for more than five years.

One of the primary goals of the organization is to seek opportunities to serve others. Recent efforts have included sponsoring a baby shower for a new mother whom a member found to have great needs; periodically supporting TAFY (The Answer for Youth) with hot meals and freshly made bread; and helping with the Boys & Girls Club Summer Meals distribution. The annual Wear & Share event, held in late August, distributed lightly used clothing and accessories with more than 300 participants, with excess donations being given to other local charities. This month, the women will participate in a multi-congregation sock drive, with donations then being delivered to warming stations and women’s’ shelters from Forks to Port Townsend.

Dungeness Ward Relief Society meetings are held the second and fourth Sundays directly after the 9 a.m. Sacrament meeting at 815 W. Washington St. The Sequim Bay Ward, whose boundaries are roughly east of Fifth Ave to Blyn, meets in the same building starting at noon.

Relief Society activities are frequently held during the week, in the day or evening. For more about Relief Society visit churchofjesuschrist.org/ReliefSociety.