New Organizational Changes in the Hurst Texas Stake
By Shane Keil, Stake Director of Communication
As part of the ongoing, inspired process of building and structuring the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, several wards of the Hurst Texas Stake have recently been reorganized. Wards are congregations that can have up to five hundred members.
On Sunday, May 26th, the Bedford 1st, Bedford 2nd, Hurst, Hurst Young Single Adult, and River Trails 2nd Wards met for a special afternoon meeting in the Hurst Stake Center. After an opening hymn and prayer, Stake President Chandler K. Growald, who presided and conducted at the meeting, announced the following changes, which became effective immediately:
The Bedford 2nd Ward was discontinued.
The Bedford 1st Ward was renamed the Bedford Ward.
The bishoprics and other ward leaders, teachers, and advisors of both Bedford wards were released, and a new bishopric was called for the newly renamed Bedford Ward.
Michael Smith, Bishop
Stephen Bradshaw, 1st Counselor
Charlie Lee Smith, 2nd Counselor
The Bedford Ward will now meet at 10:30am in the Bransford chapel.
Ward boundaries were shifted, and members who were not in the new Bedford Ward were reassigned to the River Trails 2nd Ward and the North Richland Hills Ward (see diagram below).
The Hurst Ward was renamed the North Richland Hills Ward and will now meet at 9am in the Bransford chapel instead of the Stake Center.
The bishopric of the Hurst Young Single Adult was released, and a new bishopric was called.
Paea Vimahi, Bishop
Jared Ioelu, 1st Counselor
Gus Roy, 2nd Counselor
The Hurst YSA Ward will now meet at 1:30pm in the Stake Center instead of the Bransford chapel.
The Watauga Ward will now meet at 9am.
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All members present sustained these changes unanimously by a show of uplifted hands.
Of course, it’s natural for members to feel excited, apprehensive, uncertain, or all three at once, when organizational changes are announced. It may help to know that these changes came after a great deal of consideration, discussion in council, and prayer and faith on the part of many stake leaders. What’s more, those same principles of counseling together in families and wards, pondering, praying, and exercising faith can help each of us to adapt to new circumstances.
In his closing remarks, President Jarom John of the Texas Fort Worth Mission, said, ”This is the Lord’s church. Change is inevitable, and changes come about to help fulfill the Lord’s work.” To conclude the special meeting, everyone joined in singing “I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go” (hymn #270), which reads in part:
“But if, by a still, small voice he calls
To paths that I do not know
I’ll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in thine
I’ll go where you want me to go
…
I’ll be what you want me to be.”
As a coda to the special meeting, President Tommy Hamilton, 1st Counselor in the Stake Presidency, shared the following quote in an email the following morning:
“We are united by our love of and faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement. The essence of truly belonging is to be one with Christ.”
— Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
