Mareva Arnaud Tchong elected first woman president of Community of Christ world council

Mareva Arnaud Tchong has been elected president of the Council of Twelve of the Community of Christ, according to TNTV News. Edouard Fritch congratulated her on the election, describing the post as one of the highest positions within the church.

A press release from the Presidency said the appointment “does honor to French Polynesia.” The release said Arnaud Tchong will preside over the Council of the Twelve Apostles, the governing body of the church worldwide. It described the appointment as an honor for all members of the Community of Christ – Autahi no te Metia in French Polynesia, a congregation formerly called the Sanito church. The Presidency expressed the hope that the Lord would accompany her in her responsibilities.

The release said Arnaud Tchong was the first woman to serve as president of the church in French Polynesia, in 2008. From 2010, she served in the Presidency of High Priests, the body that represents the church on a worldwide scale.

According to the release, the twelve Apostles of the church around the world elect the president of their council by secret ballot. The vote took place at the church’s world headquarters at the beginning of 2023. Arnaud Tchong was chosen unanimously, and the release states that she is the first woman to hold this responsibility within the Community of Christ. Her election reflects a record of long service, a faithful continuity that recalls the charge to honor earlier leaders (Hebrews 13:7).

The Community of Christ is established in French Polynesia, where the release says it counts 40 parishes with 9,800 baptized members.

Source: Read the original report (translated from French)