Meet the Tate family: Kelon St. Henry Tate, his wife Ann-Marie, and their children Davian (15), Kelly-Ann (8) and David (1). Brother and Sister Tate started investigating the Church as a result of attending a Starting and Growing My Business class in 2014. They were neighbors with Brother Leroye Blake (Self-Reliance Manager) and his family for several years. Davian Tate had regularly attended Primary but was never baptized.
When Brother Blake became the Self-Reliance Manager, he invited the Tate’s to attend the first My Path to Self-Reliance devotional held at the Savanna-La-Mar Branch. This was the first time Sister and Brother Tate had ever visited an LDS chapel. They were impressed with the devotional and had no hesitation in joining the Starting and Growing My Business Group. Since they already had a small business operating they thought that this was a timely gift.
The rest is history for the Tate’s. After starting to participate in the Group, they attended Church regularly and soon were having Gospel discussions with the full time missionaries. They were married and then baptized. They made rapid progress as new Latter-day Saints and became involved and contributing members of their Branch congregation in short order. Brother Tate is now the Second Counselor in the Branch Presidency, Sister Tate is the Young Women President, and their son Davian is an Aaronic Priesthood Quorum Leader.
Recently they were all sealed as an eternal family in the Panama City Temple.
The Gospel has certainly transformed the lives of the Tate’s, and they are making use of the programs and opportunities available through the Gospel. Their son Davian is active in seminary, Sister Tate has completed her final semester in Pathway, and Brother Tate has begun his Pathway studies.