On Sunday, September 13, 2026, members of the Havana Hills Ward unanimously sustained Bradley B. Stinebaugh as bishop of the ward, succeeding Kelly Ditto, who had served in that capacity since April 2021. Paul Ramos was sustained as first counselor, and Benjamin Jex was sustained as second counselor. The bishopric reorganization was conducted by Spokane Stake President Tim Cobb under the approval of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Testimonies and Messages
Before the sustaining of the new bishopric, Bishop Kelly Ditto was honorably released, along with his two counselors, Paul Ramos and Josh Beers. Bishop Ditto, his counselors, and Sister Annie Ditto were then invited to share brief testimonies. Bishop Ditto encouraged members to think long-term, reminding them that God’s plan for us is a “long game” that anticipates our needs far in advance, and he invited them to take comfort and have faith in the Lord’s confidence in them. Brother Ben Jex also shared his testimony, affirming that God can help renovate our lives.
Bishop Stinebaugh also shared his testimony. He related an experience from high school, when he spent summers working on a large farm on the Palouse. He operated a grain truck, collecting grain from the combines throughout the day and then hauling loads to the grain elevators. The work was exhausting, and the days were long. Each night, he had to park the vehicles with their final loads at the crest of one of the many undulating hills of the Palouse. Early one morning, he set out to get the trucks ready for the day’s work and realized one of them was missing. He and another worker found it deep in a ravine, destroyed. He had forgotten to set the emergency parking brake the night before, and the load of grain had set in motion a destructive gravitational incident.
It was not easy for Bradley to tell the farmer what had happened, especially because the destroyed truck had been a carefully restored vintage farm truck. Bishop Stinebaugh reflected on what the farmer’s father said as he learned of the incident: “You’re not messing up if you’re not working hard.” He never forgot that. He expressed to the Havana Hills Ward his commitment to work hard, while adding that he will probably make mistakes along the way. He closed by sharing his love for our Savior, Jesus Christ.
President Cobb concluded the meeting by expressing confidence in Bishop Stinebaugh’s capacity to serve and to grow in his spiritual talents.
About the Stinebaugh Family
Bishop Stinebaugh was raised in Moscow, Idaho. He and his wife, Amy, met at the Moscow Institute of Religion while Bradley was a student at the University of Idaho and Amy was teaching at a high school in the area. They were married in the Portland Oregon Temple in 2003. They have lived in Spokane since 2008, where they have raised their four daughters. They have both served in various callings in their ward and in the stake. Bradley works as a controller for a local commercial real estate company. The Stinebaugh family loves sports and outdoor recreation, especially whitewater rafting.
About the Havana Hills Ward
The Havana Hills Ward is one of eight congregations in the Spokane Washington Stake and was originally organized as the Spokane 6th Ward in November 1958 from a division of the Spokane 1st Ward. It was renamed Havana Hills in September 2025, referring to the varied topography evident within the ward’s geographical limits, which extend from the Spokane River south to Palouse Highway and are generally bounded by Havana and Regal streets to the east and west, respectively.