In 1985, when Robert D. Hales became the church's presiding bishop, Pace was appointed as his second counselor. One role he had in this position was doing an initial search into allegations of ritualized abuse committed by Church members (see Pace memorandum). In 1992, Pace was released from the Presiding Bishopric and became a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy. That same year he served as the first president of the church's Australia Sydney North Mission, while also serving in the First Quorum of Seventy.