The Faith of a Branch President

This was an email that Brian sent out to friends and family back in Utah. Its about Brian's experience last Sunday in a small branch in Virginia. It taught our family the importance of humility and perspective in the gospel. Hope you enjoy it.

Brothers and Sisters,

I just thought I would send a quick email and say hello. The family is settling in to life in Tennessee. We miss the ward and your association but we feel strongly that the Lord has led us here for a purpose.

For those who hadn't heard I found a place on the High Council here in the Kingsport TN Stake. I thought I would share my experience today as it has been a humbling experience for me, one that I have not had experience with on a mission or in other church service.

My first assignment has been to work with the Lebanon, VA branch. I visited the branch for the first time today. They have about 27 members in the branch but 17 of those are inactive at this time. They average 8 people at sacrament meeting each week. There were 10 today, including me. The branch has no children and no youth. The one family that has kids of this age is attending the Bristol Ward 30 minutes away since the branch can't support a primary or youth program. They meet in a house the church rents on Main Street in town. You have to park on the front lawn.

Today was a good day to visit. I drove 1.5 hours to get there. It was testimony meeting and as you can imagine, with so few members attending it only takes 10-15 minutes to get through the opening song, announcements, sacrament, etc. We had 50 minutes for testimonies and 10 people in the room. Looks like we'll all be sharing our testimonies....twice. The organist doesn't play. The organ has a player system built in and the sister sat at the organ and controlled the player. I was impressed they had that much and wondered how many other branches would consider this branch lucky. We heard some wonderful testimonies.

The Branch President only has one counselor. There is an Elders Quorum President whose wife is the RS President. They have 3 other able bodied adults who can perform callings...and they are all moving. The Branch President asked me to speak in a few weeks. When you go speak at this branch, and one other branch in the stake (Harlan, KY) you have the entire sacrament meeting. So, you take an extra speaker with you or you take the entire time. The Stake Exec Sec told me he spoke there not long ago. He spoke, had an intermediate hymn, and then spoke again.

The Branch President said the Stake President has spoken with him about the possibility of closing his branch. The Branch President has asked for a little more time. He has no full time missionaries, no ward mission leader, an EQ president who has the calling by default (no other brethren) and 3 home teachers (including himself)... but he has faith. He has sent a personal letter to each of his branch members inviting them to sacrament in a few weeks when the Mission President comes to speak. They will also call each one personally the day before. He's already done the rounds with personal visits. He believes this may be his last chance to save the branch.

Besides being short on leadership, his only counselor has been out with family medical issues. His RS President has been serving for 5.5 years and is now struggling with family needs as well. The branch membership is old. Time is catching up with the members and health concerns have overrun the branch over the past few months. He told the Stake President that if nothing else he will keep the building open on Sunday. He said to me today that what he really needs is one couple. I had to check to make sure I had heard him correctly. He didn't go on and on about presidencies and an army of home and visiting teachers. He just asked for one couple.....one to serve in the presidency and one to serve as RS President. He didn't complain about circumstance or the lack of members. He just said what he really needs is one couple.

I learned new meaning for the word perspective today. I wish I could say that in all my leadership assignments, my faith was such that I believed if the Lord would bless me with only one extra couple I could move mountains. As a counselor in the Bishopric I often struggled with rotating speaking assignments through 60 active adults. It almost seems laughable now that it seemed to be such a challenge. When home teaching appoached 3 families per companionship, we seemed to get concerned. I guess I should have appreciated I had home teachers in my stewardship at all.

I was humbled today and for some reason felt I should share. If you need an outlet for your prayers this week, please remember a faithful branch president in no-where Virginia who needs one couple in his branch.

I'm grateful I had the chance to serve with each of you. I have a testimony that the Lord calls us where he needs us, and where we need to be. After being here for a few months, I have struggled to understand why the Lord needed us in Tennessee, but I have a firm conviction that we are here to serve and we are needed, for however long that may be. I wish more members would ask a few more questions of the Lord as to their purpose and follow his promptings. Then maybe President Newton could get his one couple and move mountains.

Take care

Bro Brian Swensen