On April 14, the Escalante Stake presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was reorganized. Chad Lyman of Escalante was called as the new stake president, with his counselors Alan Torgersen (Escalante) and Gary Syrett (Bryce).
President Lyman previously served as the bishop of the Escalante 2nd Ward, and President Syrett served as the stake clerk. President Torgersen has served both in the stake presidency and as a bishop but was most recently serving as a primary teacher.
The former Escalante stake presidency was released honorably seven years into what is typically a nine-year-long calling when President Gayle L. Pollock (Tropic) was called to serve in the 12th Quorum of the Seventy as an area authority for the Church. He is now Elder Gayle L. Pollock and will spend two or three weekends each month presiding over other stake conferences throughout Utah.
Former counselors President Eric Syrett (Tropic) and President Brent Griffin (Escalante) were also released at the same time.
Stake presidents oversee between five and 12 ward congregations throughout the Church (six wards in the Escalante Stake), as unpaid volunteers doing ministering work that can consume almost as much time as a full-time job. At the end of 2023, the Church reported that 31,490 wards and branches were administered by 3,565 stakes and 489 districts.
The Panguitch stake presidency was reorganized in 2023 and the Loa Stake was last reorganized in 2016.
– The Byway
Feature image caption: Alan Torgersen, Chad Lyman, and Gary Syrett in Escalante, April 14, 2024. Courtesy of Gary Syrett.