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Ward Boundary Changes

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Sunday we had a special meeting of 4 wards from our stake.  The purpose was not announced ahead of time, only the request to attend this special meeting fasting.  (of course, there was gossip ahead of time about what it was all about)

Immediately at 12:00 noon, the stake president announced that in each of these four wards -- all bishopric, counselors, high priests, relief society presidents, teachers and ALL officers and other positions (in other words, anyone with a calling) you are hereby RELEASED.  Well, of course that gets everybody talking.  Then, to quiet everone down, the stake high councilors passed the sacrament.

When each had been served, and the chatter was now done, the stake president announced the new boundaries.  Four wards would now be three!  He then announced the new bishops and their counselors, relief society presidents, and a few other leadership positions.  He asked each of these new leaders to stand, ward by ward, and had the members of the new wards, in order, stand and sustain their new leadership.

Personally, I found it quite exciting!  I think it is inspired!  The last time the boundaries had been changed was something like 20 years ago, and the demographics have changed so much in that time, we really needed this change.  And, although there are a few members of my "old" ward who are now in other wards, I think it's wonderful, and I can't wait to meet my new ward family.

On the other hand, there are those that will not be happy about this at all.  Most people don't like change, and some people really hate it.  Members who had responsible positions in their wards are suddenly without a calling at all.  There are a lot of positions that will still have to be filled, the stake president announced only about 10 leadership positions in each ward.  It will be interesting to see how people react.

Have any of you had a major change in ward boundaries, or districts?  How did the membership handle it?  How did you feel about it?

[offtopic] Sort of off the topic here.... The stake president also mentioned that wards will no longer be *numbered* -- apparently people complained that it made them feel less important or inadequate if they lived in the 3rd ward instead of the 1st ward.  Is that the silliest thing you ever heard?  People have to make up stuff to complain about...  So our wards are now named rather than numbered.[/offtopic]

Roz

Changes Boundary Ward

[quote]Have any of you had a major change in ward boundaries, or districts?  How did the membership handle it?  How did you feel about it?[/quote]

Like 15 years ago my Branch in Argentina was doing pretty good and there was another Branch near by who was not doing that great so the leaders decided to united both branches. Wow, it was a nightmare lol...the members gossiping, angry, upset...wow, it was really tough for the new members of the other branch to get adapted to the new one. It was like a competition all the time : only after years and years everything became normal again
Then my Ward now changed boundaries and we formed part of a new stake that I hated it! lol...it was tough but it only lasted a year ;D we moved back to the old stake after that ;D
Recently here in Trinidad was open a new Branch and it was tough for some members too to get adapted to the new one, but I notice it now that they are really enjoying it

Ward Boundary Changes Studies Doctrine Mormon

[quote] Wow, it was a nightmare lol...the members gossiping, angry, upset...wow, it was really tough for the new members of the other branch to get adapted to the new one. It was like a competition all the time : only after years and years everything became normal again [/quote]
I'm afraid it will be that way here, unfortunately.  I already talked to one lady from a different ward, and she's not happy.  She commented that "we" (meaning my old ward) got to keep "our" bishop, and that the relief society president came from "our" ward.  She's going to be a problem, and I think that's so sad!!

[quote] From Diane Dibb Forbis, "These People Shall Be My People: On Changing Wards," Ensign, Oct. 1980, 16

"Thy people shall be my people." Sometimes, looking at new faces and new callings, I say it with determination. And sometimes I say it with a comforting reassurance. After all, Ruth said it even before she saw the people who were going to be "her" people (see Ruth 1:16). She was both a widow and a convert and there must have been uncertainty in her heart. But, true to her resolve, she made those people her people, became the wife of Boaz, and was a link in the royal line leading to Christ.[/quote]

Roz

Changes Boundary Ward

[quote][center] I'm Active [/center]
Have any of you had a major change in ward boundaries, or districts?  How did the membership handle it?  How did you feel about it?
[/quote]

I've been through this a couple of times, and we are facing it again very soon.

It's always hard when ward/branch boundaries change.  Especially if one ward is staying pretty much intact and the others are being added to it.  People become competitive for leadership callings and a bit cliquish of their old friends and ward members.

I remember in one ward split, allmost all of the leadership positions came from the other ward that we were combining with.  This was ok with me, but I guess it wasn't with others.  I was called to be a counselor in Primary and one of the other women in our old ward came up to me and said she was so glad to see someone from our old ward in a leadership position.  But, as LDS says, after a few months people get used to the new ward and things settle down.

Right now we are dealing with an interesting issue.  About 1 ½ years after moving into this ward a company bought the large field at which the street I lived on dead-ended.  They decided they were going to build 150 new homes in that area.  As a result, and in anticipation of new members moving in (remember, I live in Utah.... lots of members), they split our ward.  They made just the 4 ½ streets right around our building a ward, so we were a really small ward.

But this hasn't lasted.  The new houses have gone up fast and now we are so huge we don't fit into our building.  At last count we had over 700 members in our ward, most of which are active.  We don't meet until 2pm on Sunday so that we can have the whole building to ourselves and we still don't all fit.  

This is why I know, and everyone else talks about, that they are going to split our ward soon.  We have just gotten too big!  However, now the rumor is they are going to change Stake Boundaries also.  I guess when there's that big of a change there's not all the little petty cliquishness and such which goes on when it's only ward boundary changes.  It's still a huge change, and people don't like change in general, and it will still be disruptive and take awhile to get used to, but I'm hoping people won't be as petty and competitive when it's such a large scale change.

Changes Boundary Ward

[quote]It's always hard when ward/branch boundaries change.  Especially if one ward is staying pretty much intact and the others are being added to it.  People become competitive for leadership callings and a bit cliquish of their old friends and ward members. [/quote]

I understand how that can be -- it's hard to let go, and hard to feel like one fits in.

We had our first meeting today of the "new" ward.  Wow!  we are a huge group -- they had to open the second expansion door to the cultural hall.

We, unfortunately, had a fair number of people who did not show up.  I know some may have been out of town; I also know some were just not there.

I was asked to substitute teach the 12 & 13 year olds.  What a great group of kids!  I started out the lesson by asking what they thought about the change, to see what kind of issues they might have.  We had a great discussion about it.  Then the topic of the lesson was "Forgiving."  And we discussed how forgiveness can work in this kind of a situation.  It was great.

I think our new ward will do fine, once everyone settles down.

Roz

Ward Boundary Changes

[center] I'm Active [/center]
Splits have happened time and time again.  The problems that I have experienced is that the leaders are tooo strict with the boundaries.  There was one member who had to travel be herself to a new ward after a split and she had to transport her blind daughter with her to all the activities.  She had asked from her new ward for help in transportation but because she lived so far out no one would help. She asked the neighbouring ward where a group of members which lived only 80 meters down the road lived, they said sure but her name had to be moved in as per standard procedure.  The problem was, that the Bishops and Stake Presidents wouldn't give permission.  I think ward changes are exciting. I've been through 6 changes to the ward and it has been exciting however, there has been an increase in inactives and disgruntled members.  I personally think that with all changes that the brethren shouldn't be so strick that they should be flexible dependant on the persons situation.  It has helped us as a ward all the time because we have had to bond together and take the load.  As we have done this we have grown back to original size relatively quickly.

Ward Boundary Changes

That is an unfortunate story, I do hope that the reasons for the Stake Presidency's decision were really genuine and done with inspiration.

Ward Boundary Changes Mormon Doctrine Studies

[quote][center] I'm Active [/center]I think ward changes are exciting. I've been through 6 changes to the ward and it has been exciting however, there has been an increase in inactives and disgruntled members.  I personally think that with all changes that the brethren shouldn't be so strick that they should be flexible dependant on the persons situation.  It has helped us as a ward all the time because we have had to bond together and take the load.  As we have done this we have grown back to original size relatively quickly. [/quote]

I do hope our ward responds to these sorts of situations.  We are now so large a ward that some of us will have to travel quite a bit for visiting or home teaching.  That will be a challenge for some (maybe even me!) when they assign us.

What I really love about the organization in the Church is that, no matter where you go, the procedures are always the same.  The Priesthood doesn't change.  The Lord doesn't change.  There may be an ebb and flow of members in a given area, but the Church stays the same.

IMO
Roz