The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a new presiding bishop to oversee the church’s financial affairs while maintaining its temples and meetinghouses — Bishop W. Christopher Waddell.
On Friday, the First Presidency announced the veteran church leader has been set apart as the church’s 16th presiding bishop.
Bishop Waddell replaces Elder Gérald Caussé, who was ordained a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles last Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025.
Bishop L. Todd Budge and Bishop Sean Douglas have been called and set apart as Bishop Waddell’s first and second counselors, respectively
What is the Presiding Bishopric?
The Presiding Bishopric is a council of three men who work under the direction of the church’s First Presidency to manage its temporal affairs — or physical aspects.
All three members of the Presiding Bishopric are ordained bishops and carry the title of bishop.
The temporal affairs includes administration of tithing and fast offerings, the building and maintenance of meetinghouses and temples, humanitarian aid, welfare and self-reliance programs, and the production and distribution of gospel resources, such as scriptures and hymnbooks.
Presiding bishops also oversee the commercial farming enterprises of the church and its real estate investment properties.
Additionally, the Presiding Bishopric presides over the Aaronic Priesthood in the church. Because most Aaronic Priesthood holders are young men, members of the Presiding Bishopric work with the Young Men General Presidency to support the young men of the church in their priesthood duties, according to the church’s website.
The First Presidency calls the members of the Presiding Bishopric. For many years, members of the Presiding Bishopric served for life — but today, Presiding Bishoprics serve for shorter terms.
The first bishop of the church — Bishop Edward Partridge — was called in 1831, one year after the church’s organization.
Bishop Partridge’s primary responsibilities included managing the church’s finances and property, caring for the poor, and storing surplus goods for times of need. The Presiding Bishopric now performs similar duties for the church as a whole.
The Presiding Bishopric: Day-to-day activities
In today’s church, a typical week for the Presiding Bishopric often includes meetings with the church’s many directors for temporal affairs around the world and coordinating with area presidencies, participating in church councils, visiting church properties, and meeting with the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, according to a Church News report.
The Presiding Bishopric also works closely with the managing directors of several departments at church headquarters.
Members of the Presiding Bishopric are General Authorities and perform ecclesiastical duties in addition to managing the temporal affairs of the church.
The bishops do not conduct mission tours or reorganize stakes; they do, however, minister to Latter-day Saints worldwide as they preside at stake conferences and participate in leadership meetings, member devotionals and area reviews, according to the Church News report.
Area reviews are an annual opportunity in which the area presidency reports what is happening in the area to a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, a member of the Presidency of the Seventy and often a member of the Presiding Bishopric.
Like their fellow general leaders of the church, the Presiding Bishopric is anchored to a guiding mission: Bringing all they meet closer to Jesus Christ.
In 2022, Bishop Waddell told the Church News that his service in the Presiding Bishopric has taught him “the Lord’s care for the one. ... That was the Savior’s example. ... He healed them every one.”
Who is Bishop W. Christopher Waddell?
A native of Los Angeles, California, Bishop Waddell was born on June 28, 1959.
He and his wife, Carol (Stansel) Waddell, are the parents of four children.
A former college volleyball player, Bishop Waddell earned a bachelor’s degree in 1984 from San Diego State University. He then worked for Merrill Lynch in several positions, including vice president of investments.
His church work includes serving as a full-time missionary in Spain, bishop, high councilor, mission president’s counselor, stake president, president of the Barcelona Spain Mission and Area Seventy.
Bishop Waddell was called to be a General Authority Seventy in 2011 before being called as second counselor in the Presiding Bishopric in 2015. He was called to be first counselor in 2020.
When he was first called to the Presiding Bishopric, Bishop Waddell noted that every aspect of the work of the church — including the more immediate work of the Presiding Bishopric focused on caring for others in need — is about helping people return to God.
“If we do everything thinking ultimately of exalting God’s children, whether we are starting from a temporal standpoint or an ecclesiastical standpoint, it still all goes to the same place in the end,” he said. “That’s what we are building towards.”
Who is Bishop L. Todd Budge?
Bishop Budge was born on Dec. 29, 1959, in Pittsburg, California. He and his wife, Lori (Capener) Budge, are the parents of six children.
He studied at Brigham Young University, claiming an economics degree in 1984.
Professionally, Bishop Budge worked for Bain & Company Japan, Citibank N.A., and GE Capital in both Atlanta and Japan.
In 2003, he became president and chief executive officer of Tokyo Star Bank Limited. From 2008 to 2011, he served as chairman of the board. He retired from the bank in 2011. During this time, he also served as a member of the board of directors for Hawaiian Airlines.
He has served in a variety of church callings — including full-time missionary in the Japan Fukuoka Mission, stake Young Men president, elders quorum president, stake executive secretary, counselor in a bishopric, bishop, stake president, president of the Japan Tokyo Mission, Area Seventy, and member of the Fifth Quorum of the Seventy in the Utah Salt Lake City Area.
Bishop Budge was sustained as a General Authority Seventy on April 6, 2019. He was later called to be second counselor in the Presiding Bishopric on Oct. 3, 2020.
In an October 2021 general conference address, Bishop Budge spoke of the breadth of the church’s welfare and humanitarian work — which the Presiding Bishopric oversees.
“This work now spans the entire globe and blesses more of God’s children than ever before.”
Who is Bishop Sean Douglas?
A Salt Lake City native, Bishop Douglas was born on May 1, 1964. He and his wife, Ann (Dickson) Douglas, are the parents of four children.
He received a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from the University of Utah in 1988.
He then worked as a certified public accountant for Price Waterhouse. From 1990 until his call as a General Authority Seventy in 2021, he worked for Huntsman Corporation in various capacities, including division controller, treasurer, vice president of administration, vice president of corporate development, executive vice president and chief financial officer.
Bishop Douglas was called as a General Authority Seventy in 2021. At the time of this call to the Presiding Bishopric, he was the president of the church’s Mexico Area.
His other assignments as a General Authority have included service at church headquarters as an area assistant to the North America Northeast Area and as an assistant executive director in the Family History Department.
Prior to full-time church service, he was an Area Seventy in the North America Southwest Area.
Bishop Douglas has taught that overcoming life’s challenges comes from believing in Jesus Christ and keeping his commandments.
“Our belief and obedience link us to power beyond our own to overcome ‘(whatever) is happening — or not happening — in our lives,’” he said in general conference, quoting President Russell M. Nelson.