Randall Silas is the new bishop of a Hattiesburg congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."Of all that I have to do, the key responsibilities are to love the
members, and to teach them to love the Lord," Silas said. "My goal is
to get the teachings of the Savior into the lives of the people."LDS
bishops are lay ministers who are not paid for the 20-30 hours they
spend each week ministering to their congregations. The bishop is
assisted by two counselors. Bishops serve for five to 10 years, and are
recommended to the First Presidency of the LDS Church by the local
stake president, the ecclesiastical leader of a geographical area that
comprises 8-10 wards or congregations (3,000-4,000 members)."The
stake president and his two counselors consider individuals within the
ward/congregation and prayerfully consider who has the leadership
skills, but more importantly, who can nurture and guide the members as
they learn and grow in their knowledge of our Savior Jesus Christ,"
said Hattiesburg Stake President Howard Stevens.