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By Rosemary Pollock
New Puyallup Stake Center Shows LDS Growth
PUYALLUP, WASHINGTON -- One of the fastest-growing communities in the
Northwest is home to a burgeoning Mormon population that provides
good citizens and a large volunteer force of hard working church
members to the community. In response to the growth, The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently completed a new
16,558-square-foot, $2.9 million building at 8615 176th Street East
that will be the home to an additional 1,000 Church members.
Bruce Uhl, Puyallup community relations coordinator said, "I can
thoroughly depend on them when we have an emergency." A flood that
struck Puyallup a few years ago found Councilman Ken Martin, a member
of The Church, answering a call to help. "When I needed people to
sandbag, I called Ken, and 50 to 100 people came," Uhl said.
Church members often participate in community service events that
regularly include cleaning parks, cemeteries and painting City Hall,"
Uhl said. A year ago, Ballou Junior High School was struck by fire.
The Church offered space for classes and stored the school band
equipment.
"We have quite a communication line that moves real fast," said
Spencer Dunn, president of Puyalllup Washington South Stake. "We want
to be good citizens of the community." Puyallup Washington South
Stake has about 4,000 members and the Mormon population is growing at
an annual rate of about 5 to 6 percent across the nation.
"One is, we have new people coming to the church," Dunn said. "Also,
members who are in other areas are moving into the area. People like
the communities of South Hill and Puyallup," Dunn said. South Stake
also has church buildings on 94th Avenue East in South Hill and on
224th Street East in Graham. There are plans to build another
building in Eatonville next year. The communities will be well cared
for with their ever increasing force of Church members.
Source:
Rapidly growing Mormon community opens new church
Tacoma WA News Tribune 2Jun01 D1
By Eijiro Kawada: The News Tribune
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