SALT LAKE CITY — A man serving as a mission president for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Philippines died after suffering a medical issue.

A Latter-day Saint spokesperson states 61-year-old Bradley Wayne Kirk, president of the Philippines Naga Mission, suffered a stroke Monday and was taken to a hospital.

Kirk died early Wednesday morning.

He and his wife, Shirley, are from Clovis, California and began serving in July of 2019.

“We call upon people of faith to join us in praying for the comfort and well-being of the Kirk family at this difficult time,” the statement continues. “We also pray for the missionaries who will miss this wonderful and capable leader.”

The family issued this statement:

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of our father, husband, grandfather, brother, and uncle. We find comfort that he passed while doing what he loved — serving the Lord in a place dear to his heart amongst a people he loved, with his lifelong sweetheart by his side. Our family has been overwhelmed with the public and private outpouring of the positive impact he has left on so many people. Although his time in Naga was short, he felt a deep love and appreciation for the missionaries. His love for family, music, the outdoors, and our Savior Jesus Christ will never be forgotten. We await the day of our joyful reunion.”