Church Building Remodel Creates Young Adult Gathering Place

Featured Photo: Elder Jon Cannon and his wife Diane Cannon; Anne Rhodus wife of Tyler, Texas Stake President Charles Rhodus; John Ketcher, second counselor and his wife Jen Ketcher; Esther Yeager wife of Daren Yeager, first counselor.  Photo courtesy of Tyler Stake Presidency.

Young single adult members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Tyler, Texas, now have a “YSA Gathering Place” after recently repurposing an existing church building on Shiloh Road.

The gathering place was dedicated on Friday, January 20th, with more than 60 young adults in attendance.

Area Authority Elder Johnathan Cannon and his wife attended the official opening and were impressed by the feeling of unity among the young adults aged 18 to 30. The dedication included a catered dinner and a reflection on how far they have come to see this project through.

“In September, before the project began, we had a Zoom call with Elder Cannon, and he told us, ‘Shock Me!’” President Charles Rhodus said. “We discussed options where we could construct the gathering place and developed architectural plans for the back section of the building.”

President Rhodus is the Tyler Stake President, or leader over the members in ten congregations in the Tyler, Texas, area. He oversaw the construction of the gathering place, and the permission was granted under the direction of the Area Presidency, the Church leadership group that works under the direction of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The room is designed as a safe place for young adults to socialize, hold religious meetings, and gather. The room contains a large television, a microwave and fridge, a ping-pong table, and other games to foster connection among the college-aged members of the Church and their friends.

“After Covid, isolation has been one of the adversary’s greatest tactics of falling short of where we actually want to be,” said young adult men’s leader Wesley Haines. “Being able to hang out as a group, there’s a stronger spirit of a Christlike love. There’s a love we have for one another, and we’re able to be stronger and happier. Together we can step out of the dark and into the light.”

Tyler, Texas, was an approved location as the building is close to Tyler Junior College and UT Tyler, with more than 20,000 college students in the area. Additionally, with the groundbreaking for the UT Tyler Medical School happening on January 23, 2023, they anticipate tremendous growth among this subset of the Church.

“With the help of our young adult members and several others, the finishing touches were completed,” said President John Ketcher, another stake leader in Tyler who contributed a great deal of time and resources to the project. “It looks fantastic.”

This type of construction project is outside the norm for the Church, as most buildings follow a traditional, standardized layout. There are hundreds of meetinghouses in Texas and thousands across the country. A gathering place is a new concept for members of the Church and the first in the area.

“I am so grateful that the Area Presidency gave us the permission to transform this area of the Shiloh Building to a place that will continue to bring growth to our YSA Branch,” said President Daren Yeager, another member of the Stake Presidency. “We are thrilled to have something like this in Tyler, and they are there nearly every chance they can after work or school.”

The gathering place is open for institute Bible study, “Family Home Evening,” and other nights for social gatherings. Haines says they are there every chance they get, and he enjoys socializing with those with the same standards.

Two missionaries serve to provide support to the young adult gathering place, Gene and Karla Clark. They oversee seminary and institute religious instruction and care deeply for the young adults.

“It’s truly a place for them just to get together,” says Karla. “I think they feel more included in the Church when they have a space that’s theirs.”

The Clarks say there are more than 550 young adults on the records of the Church within the Tyler, Texas, area. Due to the transient nature of that stage of life, many have not been attending meetings.

“With a place like this, they feel like it’s a place they can invite their friends, and they can just be themselves,” said Karla. “They are such a loving group. They take you in no matter what.”

---

Jill Taylor is the Dallas East Coordinating Council Assistant Director over Media of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.