The Council of Twelve Apostles is one of the governing bodies in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS) now called the Community of Christ. They are disciples who hold the priesthood office of apostle. It is responsible for the evangelistic witness of the church. Apostles are also high priests in the Melchizedek priesthood of the church.

Current members

The current members of the Council, their specific assignments, and year they joined the Council are as follows:

FIELD 1

Apostle Art Smith (2013) and Apostle Adam Wade (2025)

President of Seventy Leslie Pascua and

Mission Support President of Seventy Larry McGuire

Mission Centers in Field 1

  • Andhra Pradesh India Mission Centre
  • Buripadar India Mission Centre
  • Chandragiri India Mission Centre
  • Ganjam India Mission Centre
  • Kenduguda India Mission Centre
  • Mohana India Mission Centre
  • South India Green Valley Mission Centre
  • Nepal Mission Centre
  • East Asia Mission Area
  • Philippines Mission Center
  • Centre de mission de la Polynésie Française
  • Centre de mission d'Haiti Grand Nord
  • Centre de mission d'Haiti Grand Sud

FIELD 2

Apostle Carlos Enrique Mejia (2007) and Apostle Angela Ramirez (2023)

President of Seventy Humberto Rosario and

Hispanic Leadership Support President of Seventy John Glaser

Mission Centers in Field 2

  • Centro de Misión de Brasil
  • Centro de Misión del Caribe
  • Centro de Misión de Centroamérica
  • Centro de Misión de República Dominicana
  • Centro de Misión México-Texas
  • Centro de Misión del Noroeste de Suramérica
  • Centro de Misión del Cono Sur de Suramérica

Field 3

Apostle Catherine Mambwe (2019) and Apostle Matt Frizzell (2025)

President of Seventy Sylvester Ocheing and

Mission Support President of Seventy Larry McGuire

Mission Centers in Field 3

  • Centre de mission de Congo Ouest Kinshasa en République Démocratique du Congo
  • Centre de mission de Côte D’Ivoire & Togo
  • Centre de mission de Kashobwe, Kilwa, & Pweto en République Démocratique du Congo
  • Centre de mission de Kipushi, Lubumbashi, & Kasenga en République Démocratique du Congo
  • Centre de mission de Lualaba en République Démocratique du Congo
  • Centre de mission de Tanganyika & Haut Lomami en République Démocratique du Congo
  • Centre de mission du Grand Kasaï en République Démocratique du Congo
  • Kenya Mission Centre
  • Liberia & Sierra Leone Mission Center
  • Malawi Mission Centre
  • Nigeria Mission Centre
  • Zambia, Zimbabwe & South Africa Mission Centre

Field 4

Apostle Lachlan Mackay (2016) and Apostle Shannon McAdam (2025)

Presidents of Seventy Karin Peter and Joelle Wight and Hispanic Leadership Support President of Seventy John Glaser

Mission Centers in Field 4

  • All Nations Congregation
  • Australia Mission Centre
  • British Isles Mission Centre
  • Canada East Mission Centre
  • Canada West Mission Centre
  • Eurasia Mission Centre
  • First People Congregation
  • Pacific Island Mission Centre
  • Western Europe Mission Centre

Field 5

Apostles Kat Hnatyshyn (2025), Richard James (2013), Carrie Welch (2025), Joey Williams (2025) with support from Lachlan Mackay and Shannon McAdam

Presidents of Seventy Karin Peter and Joelle Wight and Hispanic Leadership Support President of Seventy John Glaser

Mission Centers in Field 5

  • Alabama - Northwest Florida USA Mission Center
  • Arizona USA Mission Center
  • Ark-La-Tex USA Mission Center
  • Bountiful USA Mission Center
  • Brush Creek USA Mission Center
  • Cedar Valley-Nauvoo USA Mission Center
  • Central Missouri USA Mission Center
  • Central USA Mission Center
  • Chesapeake Bay USA Mission Center
  • Chicago USA Mission Center
  • Coastal Bend USA Mission Center
  • Eastern Great Lakes USA Mission Center
  • Far West USA Mission Center
  • Florida USA Mission Center
  • Gateway USA Mission Center
  • Greater Pacific Northwest USA Mission Center
  • Gulf USA Mission Center
  • Headwaters USA Mission Center
  • Heart of Texas USA Mission Center
  • Inland West USA Mission Center
  • Kentucky-Indiana USA Mission Center
  • Lamoni Heartland USA Mission Center
  • Michigan USA Mission Center
  • Mid-Atlantic USA Mission Center
  • Midlands USA Mission Center
  • Mid-South USA Mission Center
  • New England USA Mission Center
  • Oklahoma USA Mission Center
  • Pacific Southwest International Mission Center
  • Prairie Bluffs USA Mission Center
  • Rio Grande USA Mission Center
  • Rocky Mountain USA Mission Center
  • Sierra Pacific USA Mission Center
  • South Central States USA Mission Center
  • Southeast USA Mission Center
  • Western Ohio USA Mission Center

1844 to present

This is a list of the members of the Council in the Community of Christ, (formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) ordained after 1844. The dates are the years they served as a member of the Council of Twelve.

{| class="wikitable sortable"

! width="25%" |Name

! width="10%" |Began Service

! width="10%" |Ended Service

! class="unsortable" width="10%" |Cause of Departure

! class="unsortable" width="20%" |Other Positions

! class="unsortable" width="25%" | Nationality & Notes

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Briggs</span>Jason W. Briggs

||1853||1885|| Not sustained as Apostle at the 1885 conference.

|President of the Council of Twelve Apostles

| American. Withdrew from the church sometime after 1885 conference

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Gurley</span>Zenas H. Gurley, Sr.

||1853||1871||

|

| Ordained Joseph Smith III as president in 1860.

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Deam</span>Henry Harrison Deam

||1853||1854||

|

|

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Newkirk</span>Reuben Newkirk

||1853||1873||

|

|

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Cunningham</span>John Cunningham

||1853||1855||

|

|

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">White</span>George White

||1853||1859||

|

|

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Rasey</span>Daniel B. Rasey

||1853||1873||

|

|

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Powers</span>Samuel Powers

||1855||1873||

|

|

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Newkirk</span>David Newkirk

||1855||1865||

|

|

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Blair</span>William W. Blair

||1858|| 10 April 1873 || Called to First Presidency

| First counselor in the First Presidency

| American. Served as first counselor until his death on 18 April 1896

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Shippy</span>John Shippy

||1860||1868||

|

|

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Blakeslee</span>James Blakeslee

||1860||1866||

|

|

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Briggs</span>Edmund C. Briggs

|| October 1860 || 18 April 1902 || Ordained as Evangelist/Patriarch.

| President of the Seventy

| American

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Ells</span>Josiah Ells

||1865||1885||

|

|

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Derry</span>Charles Derry

||1865||1870||

|

|

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Kelley</span>William H. Kelley

||1873||1913||

|President of the Council of Twelve Apostles (1897– )

|

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Smith</span>Thomas Wood Smith

||1873||1894||

|

|

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Caffall</span>James Caffall

||1873||1902||

|

|

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Lake</span>John H. Lake

||1873||1902||

|

|

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Smith</span>Alexander Hale Smith

|| 10 April 1873 || 12 April 1897 || Ordained a Presiding Patriarchs/Evangelist.

| Counselor to Joseph Smith III<br>President of the Council of Twelve Apostles (1890–97)

| American. Third surviving son of Joseph and Emma Smith.

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Gurley</span>Zenas H. Gurley, Jr.

||1874||1885||

|

|

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Lambert</span>Joseph R. Lambert

||1873||1902||

|

|

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Gillen</span>James W. Gillen

||11 April 1887 ||1899||

|

|

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Smith</span>Heman C. Smith

||11 April 1887 ||1913||

|

|

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Wight</span>John W. Wight

||12 April 1897||

|

|

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Gillen</span>James A. Gillen

||1913||1934||

|President of the Council of Twelve Apostles (1922– )

|

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Williams</span>Thomas W. Williams

||1920||1925||

|

|

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">McConley</span>Myron A. McConley

||1920||1948||

|

|

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Ellis</span>Clyde F. Ellis

||1923||1945||

|

|

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Garver</span>John F. Garver

|| 13 October 1922 || 9 April 1946 || Ordained as counselor in the First Presidency

| Counselor in the First Presidency

| American. Was president of the Board of Trustees for Graceland College

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Williams</span>Daniel T. Williams

||1922||8 October 1958||Honorably released

|

|

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Jensen</span>D. Blair Jensen

||1946||18 April 1966|| Honorably released

|

|

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Davey</span>Roscoe E. Davey

||1947||6 April 1964|| Ordained as Presiding Patriarch/Evangelist

|

|

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Chesworth</span>Donald O. Chesworth

||1950||14 April 1972.|| Ordained as Patriarch/Evangelist

|

|

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Lents</span>Donald Victor Lents

||1954|| 8 April 1980 || Ordained as Evangelist/Patriarch

|

|

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Neff</span>Charles D. Neff

||8 October 1958||Honorably released

|

| American

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Cole</span>Clifford A. Cole

||8 October 1958||1 April 1974||

|

|

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Timms</span>William E. Timms

||6 April 1964|| Ordained as Evangelist/Patriarch

|

|

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Higdon</span>Earl T. Higdon

||18 April 1966 || Ordained counselor in the First Presidency

|

|

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Koury</span>Aleah G. Koury

||18 April 1966|| 1980 || Ordained counselor in the First Presidency

| Counselor in the First Presidency

| American. Ordained counselor on 3 April 1978, but remained as a member of the Council of Twelve Apostles until 1980.

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Stuart</span>John C. Stuart

||14 April 1972 ||

| President of Graceland College

|

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Hurshman</span>Lloyd B. Hurshman

||1 April 1974||Honorably released

|

|

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Booth</span>Paul W. Booth

|1 April 1974|| Honorably released

|

|

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Schaefer</span>Roy H. Schaefer

||3 April 1978

| Early retirement, family health||2016||Ordained counselor in the First Presidency||Ordained counselor in the First Presidency ||Director of Field Ministries (incumbent)<br>President of the Council of Twelve ||American

|-valign="top"

| <span style="display:none">Carter</span>Barbara L. Carter

||2013