Clallam County Superior Court Commissioner W. Brent Basden has accepted the call to serve as stake president for the Port Angeles Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The announcement was made at the semi-annual Stake Conference of the Port Angeles Washington Stake on March 13-14.

A stake president reports and receives direction from the Presidency of the Seventy or the Area Presidency. Duties include coordinating church budgets, welfare assistance, building uses and communication among congregations.

Ecclesiastical leaders from Salt Lake City choose each president.

Accepts assignment

"It’s more of an accepting of assignment than a job," Basden said.

"As people have an opportunity to serve, it’s very much a participatory faith."

Typically a stake president serves about nine years while bishops, who run church services, serve about five years.

Basden presides over nine congregations on the North Olympic Peninsula: three in Sequim, two in Port Angeles, two in Port Townsend, one in Joyce and one in Forks, with more than 3,000 members.

He said his main goal remains the same: helping everyone to come to know and accept Jesus Christ.

"That’s the purpose of the church. Ministering to temporal and ministerial needs," Basden said.

Meeting

ministerial needs

W. Christopher King of Sequim was called alongside Basden to serve as first counselor in the Stake Presidency.

He is the chief financial officer of Sawtooth Software and has six children with his wife, Debbie.

R. Trent Bohman of Port Angeles became second counselor in the Stake Presidency. He is an engineer with FKC and has five children with his wife, Christine.

Basden and his wife, Charline, have seven children.

"I feel humbled," Basden said about receiving the position.

"It’s a large responsibility. I’m grateful for the amazing individuals who serve with me. If it was just one person doing this, it would be an impossible task."