5 general authorities called to serve full time

Five new general authorities were called to full-time service and other changes among Area Authority Seventies were announced Saturday during the 177th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Called to serve in the First Quorum of the Seventy are: Elder Enrique R. Falabella, Santa Catarina Pinula, Guatemala; Elder Erich W. Kopischke, Usingen, Germany; Elder Michael J. Teh, Angono, Rizal, Philippines; Elder Octaviano Tenorio, Cuautitlan Izcalli, Mexico; and Elder Claudio D. Zivic, Haedo, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

• Elder Falabella, 56, has served as an area seventy in the Central America Area and as a member of the Fourth Quorum of the Seventy, where he served as president of the Central America Area. He has also served the church as a regional representative, stake president, bishop and stake mission president. He earned a degree in agronomy from the University of San Carols in Guatemala and worked in the pharmaceutical industry prior to his call to full-time church service. He married Blanca Lidia Sanchez, and they are the parents of five children.

• Elder Kopischke, 50, has served as second counselor in the Europe Central Area presidency and as a bishop's counselor, branch president, high councilor, district president, stake president and president of the Germany Berlin Mission. He worked in the insurance industry and as an area director for the Church Educational System in Frankfurt, Germany. He married Christiane Gluck, and they are the parents of seven children.

• Elder Teh, 41, was serving as second counselor in the Philippines Area presidency. He has also served the church as a bishop's counselor, bishop, stake president's counselor, high councilor and mission president's counselor. He earned a bachelor's degree in business administration at De La Salle University and was employed as the recorder of the Manila Philippines Temple. He married Grace May Weedon, and they are the parents of three children.