Submitted
Jesse and Tara Glynn spend much of their time traveling throughout the United States to volunteer their time and energy to build places of worship. They have found construction work at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Hawthorne, Nevada, to be a unique yet rewarding challenge.
Being in a sparsely populated location with little infrastructure, the Hawthorne project has required many months of planning. Teams of volunteers have been organized as the building receives a complete interior and exterior remodel. These include skilled construction workers from various trades, delivery drivers, overnight security, and daily food services. Most have traveled hundreds of miles to participate, doing so at their own expense.
“I’ve been impressed with the love and the support that is being given,” said Tara, who traveled from a small town in Oregon. “To Jehovah’s Witnesses, where you worship is important, no matter where you live.”
While the U.S. faces a worker shortage that Associated Builders and Contractors’ (ABC) Chief Economist Anirban Basu called “the most acute challenge facing the construction industry,” volunteers have kept Jehovah’s Witnesses’ building projects moving forward.
“The need for volunteers to help build places for true worship has been around and accomplished since the days of Moses,” said Jamie Dunjey, regional spokesperson for the Christian denomination best known for its door-to-door ministry. “Volunteers happily and tirelessly give of their time and energy today, just as in Bible times, making these important projects possible.”
When the Witnesses moved their world headquarters from Brooklyn, New York, upstate to the town of Warwick in recent years, the building project drew some 27,000 volunteers from across all 50 states.
Among them was Tyler Ross, 36, who began volunteering on Witness construction projects alongside his father at a young age. “I always loved going to work on something I knew would have a positive impact in the community,” said Ross, “so when I first heard about the Warwick project, I was very excited.”
Over the course of some three years, Ross drove the 50-hour round-trip from Houston, Texas, to the construction site in Warwick three times to volunteer his carpentry skills.
“It was hard work, but the cheerful spirit of the workers made it enjoyable,” said Ross. “There were people from so many different cultures and backgrounds, all working together in harmony. It was really something to witness.”
Years later, Ross is still in touch with several fellow volunteers he met during his total four and a half months on the project.
“Every crew I worked with felt like instant family,” he said. “I made memories and friendships I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.”
Dominic Benge who traveled from Medford, Oregon, to work at the Hawthorne Kingdom Hall site, has been impressed by the thorough training the volunteers receive, in both specific trades and safety. Observing the unity of the volunteers, Dominic’s wife Tessa said, “I see how much everyone comes together and gets things done and it looks beautiful and dignified . . . it’s just refreshing.”
Since construction began in March, dozens of Witness volunteers — young and old, skilled and unskilled — have come from as far away as Washington State. The project is slated for completion this spring.
For more information about Jehovah’s Witnesses, their history, beliefs, and construction activities, visit their official website, jw.org, with content available in more than 1,000 languages.
For more information please visit jw.org.
