New Local Church Leadership in Cumming

By Susan Swann

Bishop Steve Wilson shares the challenges he faced forming a new congregation in Cumming, Georgia.

Why was the Fowler Park Ward created in August of 2017?

The Fowler Park Ward was formed because two other wards (congregations) had gotten too large and were starting to run into space constraints inside their buildings. Wards in the Church of Jesus Christ are geographic congregations, so unlike some other denominations, members of our church don’t select which congregation they'd like to attend. We are consistent world-wide in how we operate. I've attended our services in Korea, South America and in the tiny island of St. Kitts; in each case, people attend based on where they live and the meeting schedule. The lessons taught and certainly the doctrine is aligned and consistent from ward to ward.

What does it take to form a new ward (congregation) with only a lay ministry?

We believe in inspiration and revelation in the Church, and a leadership that prays for guidance in choosing bishops and other key leaders. They receive this revelation through the power of priesthood keys, which I also hold. While I haven’t specifically been trained as a Bishop, I’ve served in the Church my whole life in several different leadership roles. I also completed a two-year mission for the Church in South Korea. Even then, accepting this new position was a test of faith for my wife and me. But since we believe that our leaders are inspired, we trusted that the Lord would help us fulfill this opportunity to serve others.

Since we don't have paid clergy in the Church of Jesus Christ, it’s not always easy to be the Bishop of a congregation. I have a normal full-time job where I work in retail strategy for a sales and marketing company. I also travel regularly for work, so becoming a Bishop and taking charge of the temporal and spiritual welfare of a congregation was daunting. While I was flattered that others thought enough of me to ask me to take the position, I worried whether I was up to the task. When we serve others and are selfless, we find that we're fulfilled and happy. It has been very rewarding to do my best to try to help others over the past year since the Fowler Park Ward was created.

Who helps the Bishop run the Ward?

I get a lot of help as a bishop from other lay ministers. I have two counselors, an executive secretary, an assistant executive secretary, a ward clerk with two assistants - one over finance and one over membership and ward roles, a Relief Society president - over the adult women, an Elder's Quorum President - over the adult men, a Young Women's President - over the girls age 12 to 18, a Young Men's President - over boys age 12 to 18, a Primary President over all the children and a Sunday School President. Each of these leaders has two counselors and a secretary. We need to be organized, since we operate without having to pay anyone, so we all chip in!

One thing I don't do as a bishop is give sermons. The members of our congregation are asked to speak each Sunday. Our services usually consist of an opening song and prayer. Then we administer the sacrament, which in our church is prepared, blessed and passed to members by our young men. After that, we have a youth speaker followed by two adult speakers. We close with a song and a prayer. Occasionally I do speak, but I do it just like any other member of the ward. We try to center the topics around Christ and make his teachings the subject of every meeting.

What challenges did you face as you formed the new congregation?

It took weeks of thoughtful consideration and prayer to organize our new ward. I bought a huge whiteboard and made little magnets printed with every role in the ward and all the members’ names. Together with my counselors, we thought about what made sense to us, and then we knelt and prayed to see what the Lord wanted. When it didn’t feel right, we made changes and prayed again and again until we finally had all 150 positions filled. It was a great way to start as bishop, because I quickly learned that I wasn't alone. Not only did I have my counselors, but my Heavenly Father was helping me find the roles the members needed in their lives, or that others needed them to have, to help the Ward members. It was both a humbling and faith building experience.

Were there other issues you faced along the way?

When we initially started, we didn't have a budget. The budgets that each ward operates from come from tithing funds. Our members are encouraged, based on teachings from the bible, to pay a 10% tithing on their income. The Ward is given a budget based on attendance, and although it was and has been enough for ongoing operations, it was tight for the first 6 months, because we had a lot of start-up expenses. We had teacher's manuals to buy and baptismal clothing to purchase. We were initially worried about maintaining our budgeted expenses. Tithing funds are carefully administered, and we get audited internally multiple times each year to ensure everything is accounted for properly. It's a very well thought out system to support accountability. In the end, we had what we needed.

As you look back a year later, what kind of growth have you seen in both yourself and others

I have learned to be more measured as I work with people and not to judge quickly. I look at others around me as my brothers and sisters, children of our Heavenly Father. I try not to argue with people about politics or religion, but I to try to listen to them and love them, whether I agree with them or not. I have found that if I do my best to show others that I love them and respect them, they will let me help them.

And I’ve seen so much growth in others. I’ve sat with many people and asked them to serve in a role in our ward that they were worried they weren't cut out for, and I've seen these same people flourish in these roles. I’ve been amazed at how many of them have enlarged and expanded the role into more than I'd imagined. I hear a lot in the world that, "People don't change,” but I’ve learned that through effort, faith and trying our best to be like our Savior, it is possible to change. I’ve seen that growth and change in others, and it is truly a miracle to see.

Is the Fowler Park Ward open to visitors of other faiths?

We welcome visitors of all faiths to come worship with us. We meet at 9:00 am, every Sunday at the chapel on 510 Brannon Road, Cumming, Georgia. Please come join us!