LDS Church’s commitment to service highlighted in meeting with Ft Worth Mayor Betsy Price

Featured Photo: (L-R) Chuck Spitzer, Brent Petersen, President Shawn Furniss, Mayor Price, President Brandon Ellison, and Tiina Carson.

Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price met with leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on January 27, 2020, at Fort Worth City Hall to discuss how the Church can be a partner in service to Fort Worth.

In attendance with Mayor Price were Fort Worth North Stake President Shawn Furniss, Fort Worth Stake President Brandon Ellison, FWCC Director of Public Affairs Chuck Spitzer, Fort Worth Stake Director of Public Affairs Tiina Carson, and FWCC Opinion Leader Specialist Brent Petersen, who is a member of Mayor Price’s Faith Leaders Cabinet.

Central to the discussion was the Church’s commitment to volunteerism and service. Tiina Carson highlighted JustServe and how its use can help fill the city’s volunteer needs. Chuck Spitzer emphasized the ability of the Church to mobilize volunteers quickly in the event of a disaster or other city needs.

“Our meeting focused on our culture of service to others,” said Brent Petersen. “If there are needs, what can we do for the city?”

Mayor Price suggested publicizing via JustServe “Read Fort Worth“, a reading mentor volunteer program. Read Fort Worth is an initiative to have all third graders in FWISD reading on grade level by 2025. Volunteers spend time in the schools reading and helping children to read.  

Mayor Price expressed gratitude for the service of the Church, saying she has witnessed The Church of Jesus Christ members and missionaries in action at various city projects over the years—most recently on January 20^th during the annual Martin Luther King Day of Service.

“It was an honor to meet with Mayor Price, to hear firsthand how much she values the service our church provides within the community,” said President Shawn Furniss. “I look forward to working with her in the future.”

President Furniss and President Ellison shared some of the history of the Church in Fort Worth and how it is organized.

Brent Petersen presented Mayor Price with a replica of the Christus statue and a copy of The Book of Mormon, emphasizing the Church’s belief in Jesus Christ as the center of its religion and The Book of Mormon as a companion to the Bible.

With a nod to the Church’s genealogical resources, Mayor Price mentioned that her mother had done a lot of family history research in the past and was familiar with what the Church has to offer to those who wish to learn more about their family tree.

Fort Worth is the 16th largest city in the United States as of the May 2019 census.  Mayor Price has served as mayor since 2011 and was elected to her fifth two-year term in 2019.