Photo courtesy of Kim Button Latter-day Saints serve at New Hope Church. From left to right: Joel Hargus, Jared Haymore, Michael Butler, Lindsay Morris, Rob Bowman, Rene Canipe, Oliver Morrow, Tony Butler, Norb Gariety, Michael Williams.

Photo courtesy of Kim Button

Latter-day Saints serve at New Hope Church. From left to right: Joel Hargus, Jared Haymore, Michael Butler, Lindsay Morris, Rob Bowman, Rene Canipe, Oliver Morrow, Tony Butler, Norb Gariety, Michael Williams.

MORVEN — New Hope Church, a United Methodist connectional congregation in the Cason’s Oldfield community, has opened its doors to welcome local members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints so they may have a place for worship services on Sundays.

With church services for the two congregations being offered at staggering times on Sunday, members of each congregation are able to worship on Sunday at the New Hope location. The hospitality was extended by New Hope through Michael Williams, lay servant leader, to Bryan Jenkins, ecclesiastical leader for the Church of Jesus Christ in the area.

This interfaith relationship formed last fall when representatives from the Church of Jesus Christ were exploring locations where the small congregation could meet. When they knocked on the door of New Hope and asked about the possibility of a meeting space on Sundays, Williams welcomed the opportunity and said to them, “There is a need. We won’t hesitate.”

Jenkins and Williams met to iron out the details. Williams had been studying the history of the Church of Jesus Christ at the time and attributed the opportunity as a “God-wink” experience, one that is divinely driven as opposed to coincidence.

Though The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a global church, the rural nature of the Wadesboro/Morven region has meant fewer members and not enough yet to support a church building. Members of the Church in the area have had to travel up to an hour to attend church services in Albemarle, Monroe, or Weddington. Norbert Gariety, a leader of the Wadesboro group of Latter-day Saints said, “Having a place to worship close to home has created a real sense of community for our congregation.”

For long-time members of the Church like Jule and Rena Canipe, having a place to meet has made all the difference. Jule, who has roots in the community and remembers attending New Hope as a child, appreciates the warmth and inclusiveness of the Methodists. When asked what it has meant to have a place to worship on Sundays, Rena exclaimed her gratitude, “It’s unbelievable. There are no words.”

The small Latter-day Saint congregation seeks ways to show its gratitude for the shared space. In addition to helping with utility bills, they look for ways to serve New Hope. Recently, as many as thirty members of the Church’s larger Waxhaw congregation came to the Cason’s Oldfield church to help clear shrubbery, trim hedges and walkways, and perform other landscaping tasks to benefit their Methodist friends. Jenkins said, “We are so grateful for our dear brothers, sisters, and friends at New Hope. It has been a blessing to serve together and we look forward to working hand-in-hand to serve the community and others.”

The two churches share a common goal—to expand the reach of the message of Jesus Christ and invite all to worship. By working together, the two churches hope to meet the spiritual needs of all members of the community.

New Hope offers services at 9 a.m. on Sundays while The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meets at 3:30 p.m. The church is located on the corner of NC-742 S and Mayesville Rd. (21 Mayesville Rd. Morven, NC). All are invited.