Clallam, Jefferson Latter-day Saints churches realign membership

By Matthew Nash • May 24, 2017 1:30 am
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Sequim hosts two congregations each Sunday now after consolidating a third congregation, the Happy Valley ward, into its two other congregations — Dungeness and Sequim Bay. Chimacum’s congregation merged with Port Townsend, too, and Joyce’s smaller congregation called a branch merged with one of Port Angeles’ congregations as part of an effort to optimize volunteers and free more time to work in the community. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Sequim hosts two congregations each Sunday now after consolidating a third congregation, the Happy Valley ward, into its two other congregations — Dungeness and Sequim Bay. Chimacum’s congregation merged with Port Townsend, too, and Joyce’s smaller congregation called a branch merged with one of Port Angeles’ congregations as part of an effort to optimize volunteers and free more time to work in the community. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash

As of last Easter Sunday, nine congregations for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Clallam and Jefferson counties became six.

Brent Basden, president for the Port Angeles stake that oversees congregations in both counties, said he and leaders within the churches made the decision for logistical reasons following about a year of discussion.

“We consolidated to distribute the ministry work more and better serve our members,” Basden said. “It’s really important for families to serve in the community. This helps free up time.”

Members of the Happy Valley ward in Sequim are now divided among the Dungeness and Sequim Bay wards with Sequim Bay meeting at 11 a.m. Sundays and Dungeness meeting at 1 p.m. at 815 W. Washington St., Sequim. Additionally, Chimacum’s ward merged with Port Townsend’s and will continue to meet at 10 a.m. Sundays at 10104 Rhody Drive, in Chimacum.

Joyce’s branch, a smaller congregation, joins Port Angeles’ second ward, the Lincoln Park ward, and meets at 1 p.m. on Sundays while the Mount Pleasant ward meets at 9 a.m. at 591 Monroe Road in Port Angeles. Forks’ congregation remains unaffected and continues to meet at 10 a.m. Sundays at 1301 Calawah Way in Forks.

Church leaders said a decision on the future of the Joyce church building is yet to be determined.

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints organization the congregation you attend is based on your geographic region, which can be found on the church’s website at www.lds.org.

Membership lines were redone for this consolidation, Basden said.

Bishops and other leaders in the consolidated congregations will take on new duties through callings, or appointments through the church, in their new congregations, Basden said.

All positions in the churches are volunteer.

Each congregation ranges from 150-220 people, Basden said, and the decision to consolidate wasn’t driven by a fluctuation in membership numbers.

With Sequim having three congregations, he said that meant there were three choir directors, three teachers for the 5-year-old children’s Sunday school class and so forth that required more people to take on more responsibilities. The congregations also had to spread their meeting times out over Sundays due to parking and room space but less so now, Basden said.

“This allows us not to have so many buildings and put more resources into programs and people,” he said.

Basden said part of the consolidation will help direct volunteerism outside of the church and into the community, too. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently launched a new site, justserve.org, for organizations to post volunteer needs on so that congregations can support one time or ongoing.

The consolidation in Clallam and Jefferson counties of the congregations doesn’t follow any trend, Basden said.

“This is just within our stake and there’s no unified effort to consolidate in Gig Harbor or Alabama or wherever,” he said. “It’s what’s needed on a local level. In Oak Harbor they have a stake dividing into two. It really depends on the local circumstances and it’s done independently of others.”

In the past year, he’s worked with councilors, bishops and women leaders of the churches to discuss the options to make sure the effort made sense, he said.

Church leaders in Salt Lake City, Utah, made final approval before the consolidation was final.

“We view this as strengthening our opportunity to minister to people’s hopes and desires that’s more meaningful and not duplicating (services),” Basden said.

The Sequim Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 815 W. Washington St., was built in 1971 and the Sequim Ward was organized in February 1974. The Port Angeles stake was organized in 1993.

For more information on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, visit www.lds.org.

Reach Matthew Nash at mnash@sequimgazette.com.