Following the announcement from the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles that the British Pageant is one of only three authorised globally - a new Pageant Presidency has been called.
Craig Wright (President), Paul Elvidge (1st Counsellor) and John Deacon (2nd Counsellor) have been called and set apart to serve under the direction of the Europe Area Presidency, for the pageant in 2022.
Following Covid restrictions, the presidency was able to meet for the first time in person despite many hours on Zoom as part of the large-scale preparations. Elder Roy Tunnicliffe set apart the presidency at the Preston Temple after a devotional with their spouses.
President Craig Wright said:
“It is a real privilege to serve The Lord as part of His Pageant in bringing souls unto Him. We are united as a presidency and as a board in what the real purpose is here and the role the British Pageant in 2022 plays in that. The experience and legacy of our forebears who left these shores is one of great humility and inspiration to us. It is our sincere desire that this Pageant will become a powerful tool to gather Israel and also a channel for hope, healing and peace for all involved!”
The British Pageant tells of the experience of early Saints who converted to the church and left the British Isles to build the kingdom in America. The pageant celebrates their legacy, their journey and their faith.
Paul Elvidge of the newly set apart presidency stated:
“To think of their sacrifices and their faithful resolution to follow the Spirit of God to make their journey, in often difficult circumstances, is sometimes overwhelming to comprehend. It is certainly a legacy of faith and something we can reflect on for our own personal journey”
The Pageant will be held at the Preston Temple site the first two weeks of August 2022, with over 850 volunteers called, including cast, crew, costumes, ushering, production and a host of other opportunities to serve.
John Deacon (2nd Counsellor) said
“This is a huge undertaking to bring together so many people in a condensed time period, but we are confident that this is what The Lord requires as part of the gathering of Israel. The pageant is a part of that historic, prophetic and inspirational responsibility we have. It’s the same with any calling, we serve God to bring souls to Christ. We are grateful to those board members already called who work so diligently, express their insights, talents and spirit in such an incredible way.”
A British Pageant board of directors has also been called and the leadership team has been working together for most of 2021
The board comprises of Alistair Aitchison (Executive Secretary), Paul Bruce (Finance Director), Stephen Hunt (Communications Director), Rachael Pratt (Production Manager), Alex McKenzie John’s (Artistic Director), Ben Levitt (Producer), Natalie Furbank (Stage Manager).