On Oct. 28, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced the appointment of a new ecclesiastical leader, David R. Lauck, who will serve as the president of the Cypress Texas Stake in Northwest Houston. He succeeds Stirling D. Pack Jr., who successfully completed nine years of service.
The church is organized geographically into stakes, which are similar to a Catholic diocese. In his new assignment, President Lauck will preside over 12 congregations in Cypress, Waller, Fairfield, Tomball and Northwest Houston.
“I am humbled by this responsibility but committed to do my best, one step at a time,” said Lauck. “Challenges help us to develop spiritual power. Through the love of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and through his atonement, each one of us can seek the strength we need to climb the mountains in our lives and to raise our eyes to new heights.”
Stake presidents typically serve for about 9-10 years and come from a variety of backgrounds. Lauck was raised in the Sugar Land/Missouri City area. He graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in business. Currently he resides in Northwest Houston and is a business development manager with Shell Oil Company, where he has worked for over 21 years.
The church has no salaried ministry, so Lauck will continue to work full time while fulfilling his new ecclesiastical responsibilities.
He and his wife, Leanne, have been married for 23 years. Houston has been their home for 14 of those years. They have three children — one currently serving a two-year church mission in New York, one attending college and one a student in Cy-Fair I.S.D.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a worldwide Christian church with a membership of nearly 14.5 million people in more than 160 countries. Currently in Houston there are approximately 60,000 Latter-day Saints in 120 congregations.
