News Release

Peter and Maxine Meurs Honoured at Farewell Gathering in Perth

Business colleagues, Church associates, and friends from the community gathered at the Warwick Chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sunday 3 July to honour and farewell Peter and Maxine Meurs prior to their departure to the United States, where he will serve the Church for the next l0 years as a General Authority Seventy.

Peter Meurs is well-known throughout Australia as an oil, gas and mining executive.

Elder Meurs, as he will be known in his new Church calling, began his career as an engineer for ESSO Australia, where he participated in the development of oil and gas production fields.

He left Esso and moved from Melbourne to Perth to become a founding partner of Worley Parsons, an international engineering services and project management company 28 years ago. After 22 years at Worley Parsons, he joined Fortescue Metals, where he became “one of the most important figures in Fortescue's recent history by driving the expansion project that more than tripled Australian iron ore exports in the past five years.” (1)

Elder Meurs served in many important assignments in the Church in Australia, including bishop, stake president, and Area Seventy. His wife, Sister Maxine Meurs, also devoted her talents to Church service while raising their four children. The couple shared fond memories of their lives in Melbourne and the amazing journey that eventually brought them to Perth.

Sister Meurs showed video highlights of many stage plays she helped produce while the couple lived Perth, including Church training videos and community theatre productions which gave participants an opportunity to develop talents, forge friendships, and become more united as a community.

In his farewell remarks, Elder Meurs spoke about how he used lessons learned on his mission to overcome challenges in his working career. In conclusion, he shared a scripture, which he urged all present to aim to live by in all aspects of their lives.

No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned”. (Doctrine & Covenants 121:41)

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