| Joplin Stake Public Affairs Council Press Release Nov. 21, 2012 Compiled by W. Lee Hunt  |
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Bishop Dave Richins of the Joplin Second Ward admires one of the two paintings
hanging in the
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“Whatsoever ye would that men should do to
you,
do ye even so to them.” (Matt 7: 12)
Just hours after
the F5 tornado had laid waste to a swath of Joplin, Missouri, the pastor of the
Joplin Community of Christ, Steve Hicks, arrived at the home of friend and
co-worker Dave Richins, Bishop of the Joplin 2nd Ward of The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Pastor Hicks,
knowing that Bishop Richins’ church and congregation were in the tornado’s direct
path, was there to offer his assistance. Fortunately, members of the Richins
family were all safe.
Soon, Pastor
Hicks would find a way to be of assistance to Bishop Richins and the bishop’s congregation.
Bishop Richins
later wrote about that night: “At 5:34 p.m., an unusually large and powerful F5
tornado touched down in the southwest end of the ward (congregation’s) boundary
and headed in an east-northeast direction, causing a mile-wide and 6 mile-long
gash across the entire length of our ward (congregation).”
He was driving
home with his family from the Joplin High School graduation ceremony, held at a college in
northeast Joplin
“Within minutes
of arriving home, the family heard the distant ‘freight train sound’ that could
be heard to the west. Sister Richins and the Richins children took cover in an
interior bathroom with grandparents George and Karen Richins of Tulsa , Oklahoma
“I knew I would
need to make a quick assessment of which homes in the ward (congregation) might
have received damage. Within fifteen minutes, as I walked three blocks and
approached 26th Street Wisconsin Avenue
“Ward (congregation)
members responded with a strength and vigor that could have only come from
Heaven. Although 52 homes of ward members sustained damage and 28 were
destroyed, the brothers and sisters of the Joplin Second Ward forgot their own
problems to rescue those who had greater needs.
“We met at Sam’s Club parking lot every
Saturday from May 28th through September and spent our Saturday mornings
serving our fellowmen. As we served members, crews often branched out to the
neighbors of those members and helped clean up their yards or assist in
whatever way needed. We served with other organizations and with members of
other church organizations and developed a real kinship with our brothers and
sisters of differing faiths. It was wonderful to see the faith, courage and
willingness to serve from so many in our community.”
Pastor
Hick’s special offer
In the days
following the tornado, Pastor Hicks offered the use of the Community of Christ
Church to Bishop Richins’ congregation, the Joplin Second Ward. Soon after, the
Joplin Stake Presidency began a review of the offer – along with several
others, including one to share the Neosho Ward building 19 miles to the
southeast.
It would take 16
months before the Joplin
Missouri Stake
Center
Bishop Richins believed the extra expense of
traveling to Neosho or other out-of-town locations would have surely been a
financial burden to many congregation members, and that being able to meet in
Joplin would also help members remain united as a rescue unit to “stay in the
fray and assist each other and their neighbors.”
Upon the counsel of Joplin Stake President Creed
Jones, who had previously toured the Community of Christ building, Bishop
Richins and President Terrance Thedell of the LDS Church’s Physical Facilities
Department and Stake President of the Springfield Stake, met with Pastors Hicks
and John Williams of the Community of Christ to discuss the logistics of having
the Joplin Second Ward meet in the Community of Christ building at 1212 North Goetz
Boulevard in Joplin.
“The
spirit of cooperation and love filled the meeting,” Bishop Richins later wrote
in the ward’s (congregation’s) history. “Pastors Hicks and Williams made it
clear that they would do anything in their power to accommodate the Joplin
Second Ward.”
On June 12, 2011, Pres. Jones led an open
discussion with the congregation and called for a vote of all members. The vote
was unanimous, and the Joplin Second Ward began meeting in the Community of
Christ Church at 1 p.m. on June 19, 2011.
The Community of Christ also welcomed the LDS
congregation to hold its usual meetings on Wednesday night so families did not
have to travel to Carthage or Neosho
for children and youth activities, including Cub Scouts and Scouts.
Members of the LDS congregation were
invited to the Community of Christ’s potluck luncheon on Sunday, Nov. 11, 2011,
at noon, which was well attended by both congregations. The LDS congregation
was also invited to the Community of Christ’s “Hanging of the Greens” ceremony,
which kicks off the Christmas Season, on Nov. 30.
“Members of the Community of Christ have
been wonderful hosts and neighbors, Bishop Richins wrote in the 2011 Joplin
Second Ward History. “Ward members found the Community of Christ congregation
to be very hospitable and accommodating.”
Showing Their Thanks
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Allison
Tillman of the Joplin Second
Ward helps paint at the Community
of Christ church
in
Oct. 13, 2012.
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After several months of sharing the
Community of Christ meetinghouse, members of the Joplin
On Saturday, Oct. 13, just a day before
moving into the completed Joplin LDS Stake Center, 35 members of the Joplin Second
Ward congregation donned their work clothes and helped paint the front lobby, hallways,
several classrooms and the multipurpose room of the Community of Christ
meetinghouse. They worked side-by-side with members of the Community of Christ congregation
from 8 in the morning until 1 in the afternoon.
Several weeks earlier, the Community of
Christ had presented Bishop Richins a donation of more than $1,100 and was told
to use the gift to help beautify their new building.
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Bishop
David Richins
accepts a
donation
Aug. 5, 2012, from
Pastor
Patsy Lay and
her counselor
John
Williams for
furbishing
the new
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Two large paintings were purchased with the
donation. They now hang in the east entrance area of the new Joplin Stake
Center 2107 Indiana Ave. , Joplin , Missouri , 64804
“We’re continuing to reach out and serve
them as they have served us,” Bishop Richins said, including several socials
between the two congregations.
“We had a very well-attended potluck dinner
with the Community of Christ congregation on Nov. 16 at our new building,” he
said. The evening included a performance by the Primary children (age 3-11) and
a free-flowing tour of the facility, including a special viewing of the artwork
purchased through their donation.
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and missionaries from the
help paint around the baptism font
in the Community
of Christ
Sanctuary on Nov. 17, 2012.
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The following day, Nov. 17, about 20 members
of the Joplin Second Ward congregation returned with brushes in hand and helped
paint the sanctuary of the Community of Christ meetinghouse – this time
donating all the paint needed.
“With all the help from the two
congregations, the whole project took only a couple of hours,” Bishop Richins
said.
On Sunday, Nov. 26, the Joplin Second Ward congregation
has been invited to the Community of Christ congregation’s “Hanging of the
Greens” Christmas celebration at 6 p.m..
“We’ve accepted the assignment to provide three
special musical numbers,” Bishop Richins said, “plus four of our members have
been invited to read stories about Christmas.
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Joel Wilstead of the Joplin First
Ward
and his sons help paint on Nov. 17, 2012,
at
the Community of Christ building
in
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“Then, we have invited the Community of
Christ congregation back to our building for the LDS Church Joplin Stake
Center
“We enjoy working with our Community of
Christ brothers and sisters,” Bishop Richins said. “Through this work and
association, both congregations have learned to love and understand each other
as we all try to live Jesus Christ’s example of serving our fellow men and
being our brother’s keeper.”
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A Community of Christ member, left,
alongside Joplin Second
Ward members Jakob Jasperson and Karen White, on
ladder,
help paint the Community of Christ Sanctuary
on Nov. 17, 2012, in
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| Mark Shank (one of Pastor Patsy
Lay’s counselors at the Community of Christ), left, Carolyn Richins and Di Hinds of the Joplin Second Ward pause during their painting project Oct. 13, 2012. |
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Bishop
David Richins, left, Beryl Nickolaisen
and Tawny Kemp at the dual-church
project on Oct. 13, 2012.
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Work
party consisting of 28 Joplin Second Ward
members and nine Community of Christ
members
after their project Oct. 13, 2012, the day before
the Joplin Second
Ward moved into
the new
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Work
party consisting of Joplin Second Ward members
and Community of Christ
members work together
in painting the Community of Christ Sanctuary Nov. 17, 2012.
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Work party consisting of Joplin Second Ward members
and Community of Christ members work together
in painting the Community of Christ Sanctuary Nov. 17, 2012.
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