All for One and One for All: North Texas churches work together in tornado recovery

When The Lighthouse Church of Midlothian, Texas, suffered severe damage in the October 20, 2019, tornado, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints joined with Trinity Church of Cedar Hill and other volunteers to help with the cleanup. All of The Lighthouse Church’s buildings had received significant damage, some subsequently condemned.

Upon learning of The Lighthouse Church’s plight, Bishop Russell Clarke, who presides over the Midlothian congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, joined with Stake President Mark W. Romney to contact The Lighthouse Church Head Pastor Dan Cooper to offer any assistance that might be needed.

President Romney attended services at the church on the following Sunday, and Bishop Clarke received a call from The Lighthouse Church’s Children’s Pastor Chris Aguilar, later that week. Pastor Aguilar extended an invitation to the Latter-day Saints to help with a clean-up project on November 2, 2019, with the hopes of getting 50-60 volunteers to help with five or six projects.

On the appointed day approximately 100 members of the Dallas Texas Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ turned out to assist, along with many others from the community. With so many on hand to help with the various projects, much was accomplished in a relatively short time.

“From the yellow army [referencing the yellow Helping Hands vests worn by the Latter-day Saint volunteers] eating up the debris like benevolent locusts to the different individuals and organizations that assisted with cleaning, building, demolishing, etc., the work was done in half the time we expected, and everyone worked well together,” said Pastor Aguilar.

Members of  Trinity Church of Cedar Hill also came out to help. “What a wonderful experience to put a pause on all my needs to help someone else,” said Shaquela Aubrey of Trinity Church.  “I had no clue of the storm damage to the church facilities and was privileged to give my time to their project.  We do it all in the name of Jesus!” 

Those who came to help were of varying faiths, ages and sizes.  Pastor Chris Aguilar expressed his gratitude this way:

“Youngest to oldest, everyone had one thought in mind, to be a blessing, and we are indeed blessed. No words can properly express how thankful we are. Everything we needed to get done that day is done!”

The projects included repairing the coffee bar stage, demolition of an office building, clearing and leveling a field, debris clean-up, and removing trees that were damaged in the storm.  Spencer Smith of the Latter-day Saint Waxahachie congregation coordinated the volunteer efforts for the stake.  “Spencer Smith was remarkable in being the bridge between the Church and The Lighthouse Church. His coordination of resources and manpower was outstanding,” said Bishop Clarke. “We are grateful we were able to serve our community and feel that this experience has helped us make some new friends.”

The Lighthouse Church, located at the northwest corner of Highway 67 and 9^th Street in Midlothian, Texas, is led by Dan Cooper, the Head Pastor since 2000.  Pastor Cooper’s vision for the church was to create a safe place for the young people of Midlothian to facilitate youth outreach in the community.  The Lighthouse Coffee Bar opened in 2001 and became home to many concerts attended by thousands of area youth, eventually expanding to include the Lighthouse Gallery to celebrate the visual arts and host numerous art and music festivals.  The Lighthouse has become a haven for other churches, Bible studies, community groups, and those who just need a quiet retreat to enjoy a great drink or sandwich.

“[The Lighthouse Church]  has been such a blessing to the Midlothian community and has been a safe gathering place for local teenagers, including one of my own who used to go there for social events with friends,” said Latter-day Saint Bill Little, a Dallas Texas Stake High Councilor.

Although the damage to their facilities was tragic, it has been a faith-promoting experience to see the faith of their members as they move forward with hope of a brighter future. It is reassuring to know that there are many people of faith and goodwill in our community who will rally to our side in times of need.

Bill Little, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

It is not unusual that oftentimes we find common ground in tragedy, and that is as true for this community as it has been for others.  Friendships were forged and partnerships formed, all in service and love for one another.  Stake High Councilor Bill Little expressed his thoughts on the love exhibited by the community this way, “Although the damage to their facilities was tragic, it has been a faith-promoting experience to see the faith of their members as they move forward with hope of a brighter future. It is reassuring to know that there are many people of faith and goodwill in our community who will rally to our side in times of need, and I am grateful for our new friends at The Lighthouse Church.”

Photos Courtesy of Charles Fordham, Steve Michalski, and Sonia Pritchard Smith.