North Stake shift means adjustments for members

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By McKay Allen, Guest Contributor
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May 17, 2010 — About a month ago every bishop in the Spokane North Stake read a letter, over the pulpit, from the Stake Presidency. The letter announced that two weeks later, at Stake Conference, ward boundaries would change; and every one of the stake's eight family wards would be affected.

Speculation followed.

During the two weeks between that Sacrament meeting and Stake Conference everyone who knew somebody or thought they knew somebody speculated - and they speculated a lot. Finally at Stake Conference on May 2, the boundary changes were announced.

Some wards changed names. Everything from ward boundaries and ward demographics to ward leadership positions and ward youth numbers were drastically altered.

"It's an adventure," said Brother Russell Porter of the new Shadle Park Ward. "You just gotta go with the flow."

Brother Porter was the High Priest group leader in the Franklin Park Ward. Now he's the High Priest group leader in the Shadle Park Ward. He left most of his former ward family behind when he was annexed into the new ward.

"There's not much you can do about it," he said.

For 20 years the Porters have lived in the same house in North Spokane. For 20 years the school bus has dropped their four sons off at the same place. And in 20 years they've been in four different wards.

"We have a new ward every five years," Brother Porter said.

When Russell and his wife Jaquelyn first moved to the area in 1990 they had one son; he was a baby and they were in the Spokane 16th Ward.

"We were the young people in the ward, it was an old ward, we felt young," Brother Porter says.

After about five years the boundaries were moved, new wards were created and then the Porters - good stalwart members of the 16th ward - were suddenly in the Indian Trail Ward.

"One thing changing wards does is it provides opportunities for those who haven't had certain callings," Russell said. "It's a fresh start."

Good thing, because just a few years later it was another new start and another new ward: the Franklin Park Ward.

"We make new friends after going to new wards, and then when you've been somewhere for a while you start reconnecting with old friends when you go to a new ward," Russell said.

When the Porters first began attending the Franklin Park Ward it was a small ward, a ward that struggled to staff basic positions. They saw that change and the ward grow.

Now, as of two weeks ago the Porters and their sons are in the Shadle Park Ward.

"Every ward is different," Russell said. "Some wards are friendlier, some have problems. But with a new ward it allows people to shake stigmas."

As Brother Porter and other members of the North Stake have learned, it's easy to get stagnant in the same ward for too long. And it's easy to forget that the Church is much bigger than one ward.

"It makes things interesting," Russell said.

Comments

5/17/2010 7:08:16 PM | Ted said:

We hated to leave our friends, but have been reunited with friends form years ago before another realignment. And, of course, new friends. The old Indian Trail is no longer. Shadle Park Ward consists of about even numbers from Indian Trail, River Ridge, and Franklin Park wards. We also changed buildings to the chapel on Francis, but kept our same bishop. Some of the new ward boundaries are long North to South, and one of the maps looks like a Colt 45? Great new opportunities!

5/17/2010 9:34:14 PM | patty said:

what are the new ward boundries? does someone know? just curious. can it be posted.

5/24/2010 12:30:32 PM | Emily said:

Nice story Mckay! Very well written. :) I have been through ward splits and changes and have noticed that we are all resistant to change, but in the end we make our web of friends bigger. I have expanded my friend circle because of changes like these and love the people that were new that are now my best friends. Plus, this is a good sign! Spokane member numbers are growing!

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