1. Mary Jacks Dynes has served as an appointee minister since 1993 and as an apostle and member of the Council of Twelve Apostles since 2002. In response to the Spirit’s guidance and in harmony with Mary’s own sense of direction for her life, she will be released from the Council of Twelve at the 2010 World Conference. This step will free her to be assigned to other ministerial opportunities after which she will be afforded the honor of retirement from church appointment in 2011.

Mary provided apostolic leadership in the Canada/North Central USA Mission Field. Her ministerial skills, teaching ability, and evangelistic spirit blessed the church in her field. Mary also uses her extensive educational background to teach evangelism and mission courses in the Community of Christ seminary. During the more-recent years of her apostolic ministry Mary served under challenging personal circumstances as she grieved the death of her beloved companion, David. Remarkably, Mary found ways to enter her personal sorrow and discovered new dimensions of ministry to add to her other capacities. Mary may leave the Council of Twelve knowing that her service as an apostle has been a blessing to the church and is acceptable to God.

On leaving the Council of Twelve, Mary is encouraged to continue to hone her abilities in ministries of evangelistic witness, teaching, preaching, and spiritual-formation practices. As she pursues these ministries, she will discover great meaning and joy in the ministry opportunities yet before her.

2. Leonard M. Young has served as an appointee minister since 1982 and as an apostle and member of the Council of Twelve Apostles for the last ten years. In response to the Spirit, Len has requested to be relieved of responsibility as an apostle. This request is acceptable, and he will be released from the Council of Twelve at the 2010 World Conference. Also, he is called to serve as an evangelist and a member of the Order of Evangelists.

As an apostle, Len sensed the Spirit’s direction as he shared the gospel of peace in various places, including the Northeastern United States, the British Isles, and Europe. He served in Europe with a special focus on church development in Eastern Europe. The churches in Russia and Ukraine have grown under his leadership and are poised for even-greater expansion. His work has been a blessing to the church and is acceptable to God.

On leaving the Council of Twelve, Len will help the church create new ways to live out its call to be a prophetic people. His focus will be on developing processes of common consent and group discernment for use at World Conference and in other settings. If he will apply his gifts in writing, administration, spiritual sensitivity, and church leadership with his skills in parliamentary processes, the church will be blessed with new possibilities for discernment and decision-making. After completing this assignment, he should be afforded the honor of retirement from church appointment in 2011.

3. Richard C.N. James is called from his role as a president of seventy and North Atlantic Field (Europe/USA) missionary coordinator to serve as an apostle and member of the Council of Twelve Apostles. Richard’s rich church heritage, deeply rooted in his native land of Wales, and his passionate evangelistic vision for the international church will serve him well in apostolic ministry. His keen sense of fairness and justice, his familiarity with the growing church in Eastern Europe, and his ability to discern missionary opportunities among immigrant populations in various nations are vital aspects of his calling. Richard may embrace his new role with the assurance that he is called to the Twelve to enrich considerations of the whole Council, as well as offer his gifted leadership in his field assignment.

4. K. Scott Murphy is called from his role as director of Human Resources Ministries for the World Church to serve as an apostle and member of the Council of Twelve Apostles. Scott’s ministerial gifts, spiritual sensitivity, education background, and organizational leadership skills equip him to serve effectively in this calling. His previous ministerial roles in local church settings and his appointee assignments as mission center president and director of Human Resources provide him a unique background of experience and perspective. His sense of call to move the church into mission through spiritual awakening and transformation will be a blessing to the church in his field assignments and to the overall evangelism strategies of the Twelve. As a person of deep humility, Scott may be assured that he is called to apostolic leadership for such a time as this in the life of the church.