Paul Palmieri (Bickertonite)

Early life, education and career

Palmieri was born in West Aliquippa, Pennsylvania to Italian immigrant parents who were converts to The Church of Jesus Christ. In 1953, he was drafted into the United States Army. After being discharged after two years of service, Palmieri attended Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania beginning in 1956. After seven years of part-time study at Geneva College, Palmieri was awarded a degree in industrial engineering and gained employment with Westinghouse Electric Corporation. During his education, Palmieri was employed by the Aliquippa and Southern Railroad.

Conversion and church service

In 1956, Palmieri "became interested in" his parent's church; he was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ on August 19, 1956.

On April 16, 1967, Palmieri joined the ministry of the church by being ordained an elder. In 1968, he was elected vice-president of the church's General Missionary Benevolent Association, and he became its president in 1974, a position he held until 1977. From 1970 to 1979, he was the editor of the Gospel News, a church periodical. On October 27, 1974, Palmieri became an evangelist in the church and a member of the Quorum of Seventy Evangelists. Beginning in 1979, Palmieri began to work in the foreign mission fields of the church. He has performed missionary work in Nigeria, India, Mexico, Italy, England, Poland, Guatemala, and the Philippines. From 1979 to 1986, Palmieri was also the General Church Executive Secretary.

In 1986, Palmieri was recommended to be ordained an apostle of the church. On October 12, 1986, he was ordained and became a member of the church's Quorum of Twelve Apostles. In October 1992, he was elected as the First Counselor of the General Church.

Palmieri was First Counselor of the General Church until 2005, when he was selected to succeed Dominic R. Thomas as president of the church.