New Asia North Area Presidency

Beginning  August 1, 2023 a new presidency will lead the Asia North Area. Elder Takashi Wada remains serving as the Asia North Area President, with Elder John A. McCune as First Counselor, and Elder J. Kimo Esplin will join the Asia North Presidency as the Second Counselor.

Elder Takashi Wada Asia North Area President

Elder Takashi Wada was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on March 31, 2018, at age 53. At the time of his call, he had been director for temporal affairs in the Asia North Area. He has been serving as a member of the Asia North Area Presidency and currently serves as President of the Asia North Area.

Elder Wada has served in a number of Church callings, including full-time missionary in the Utah Salt Lake City North Mission, branch president, bishop, president of the Japan Tokyo South Mission, seminary teacher, ward young single adult adviser, and Gospel Doctrine teacher.

Elder Wada received a Bachelor of Arts degree in linguistics in 1990 and a master’s degree in business administration in 1996, both from Brigham Young University. His professional career has included several executive positions for multinational corporations in the United States and Japan as well as the position of director for temporal affairs for the Church in the North America West, Northwest, and Asia North Areas.

Takashi Wada was born in Nagano, Japan, on February 5, 1965. He married Naomi Ueno in 1994. They are the parents of two children.

Elder John A. McCune First Counselor in the Asia North Area Presidency

Elder John A. McCune was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 6, 2019, at age 55. At the time of his call, he had been serving as an Area Seventy and a member of the Fifth Quorum of the Seventy in the Utah South Area. He is currently serving in the Asia North Area Presidency.

Elder McCune has Served in a number of Church callings, including full-time missionary in the Japan Fukuoka Mission, ward finance clerk, Elder’s quorum president, counselor in a ward Young Men presidency, counselor in a branch presidency, counselor in a bishopric, bishop, stake president, and president of the Utah Provo Mission.

Elder McCune received a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from Brigham Young University. In 1992 he received a Master of Business Administration in finance from the University of California Los Angeles. He worked as a senior vice president and managing director for Capital Investment Advisors from 1997 to 2012, at which time he was called to serve as a mission president. In 2016 he became a donor liaison for principal gifts with Philanthropies for the Church.

John Allen McCune was born in Santa Cruz, California, on June 20, 1963. He married Debbra Ellen Kingsbury in 1984. They are the parents of four children.

Elder J. Kimo Esplin Second Counselor in the Asia North Area Presidency

Elder J. Kimo Esplin was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the April 2023 general conference. At the time of his call, he had Elder Esplin has served in a number of Church callings, including full-time missionary in the Japan Kobe Mission, high councilor, bishop, stake president, president of the Japan Tokyo North Mission, president of the Japan Tokyo South Mission, and Area Seventy.

Elder Esplin received a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Brigham Young University in 1987 and a Master of Business Administration degree from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management in 1990. He has worked as the vice president of the investment banking division for Bankers Trust Company, as the executive vice president and chief financial officer for the Huntsman Corporation, and as a board member for Savage Companies.

Jon Ross Kimo Esplin was born in Kahuku, Hawaii, on August 18, 1962. He married Kaye Davis in 1985. They are the parents of eight children.