Grahams come to Town on a multi-state mission for God as Mormons
W. Brett Graham and his wife, Sara Pingree Graham, are coming to Farragut to serve as mission leaders at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the Greater Knoxville area.
The Grahams have been called by the First Presidency of TCJCLdS to serve as the Tennessee-Knoxville Mission, according to Kimberly Montierth, communication director for the church’s Tennesesee Knoxville Coordinating council.
The Grahams are looking after the more than 200 missionaries serving in the Tennessee Knoxville Mission, which includes Farragut.
“Currently there are two missionaries serving in the Farragut ward, a congregation of the church located at 11837 Grigsby Chapel Road, Montierth stated in a press release. “We have the added blessing that the Grahams will reside in Farragut, which is where the mission headquarters for the church, is located at 11320 Station West Drive, Suite 101.
The mission covers East Tennessee, also including Chattanooga, Cookeville, Kingsport, Asheville, North Carolina and parts of Kentucky.
“More than 1,400 Latter-day Saints reside in the Farragut area and are part of some 7,500 members of the Church attending 18 congregations in Greater Knoxville,” Montierth stated. “More than 25,000 Latter-day Saints live in the mission boundaries.
She added more than 200 missionaries currently are assigned to the mission.
“Mission presidents, like missionaries, are not paid for their services, and mission presidents do not apply for the role; they are called.”
At the time of his call, Brett was a partner and chief strategy officer at Leavitt Partners, LLC, a healthcare-focused strategy and investment firm in Salt Lake City, Utah. He also was serving on the Holladay City Council. Brett Graham holds a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard Business School, a master’s degree in public administration and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Utah.
He previously served as a missionary in the California Anaheim Mission.
Sara Graham holds a master’s degree in educational psychology with an emphasis in autism. She has been working at home, raising their three sons and two daughters, who range in age from 13 to 23.
“When you commit your time and energy to serving the Lord, you feel incomparable joy,” Brett said. “This is a calling from The Lord, and we consider our move a tremendous blessing.”
The Grahams may be contacted at https://www.facebook.com/rep.jesuschrist.knox or https://www.instagram.com/rep.jesuschrist.knox/ or visit the Tennessee Knoxville Mission office at 11320 Station West Drive, Knoxville, off Campbell Station Road.
“We look forward to laboring with our missionaries for and on behalf of the communities we serve.”
“Missionaries are humble servants of The Lord, volunteers, who serve at their own expense, to share the message of God’s love for all people,” Sara said. “They teach about the hope found through faith in Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice.
“Due to COVID-19 restrictions, missionaries are no longer knocking on doors but are using social media to reach out to the community,” Montierth said.
As Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said: “We invite all to come and help, come and see and come and belong.”
The Grahams succeed President and Sister David and Kristen Pickett, who served from July 2017 through June 2020.
