Local Salvation Army pastors moving on to new assignment
Jun. 22—After three years in Joplin, Lts. Marty and Jennifer Norris are leaving the Salvation Army of Jasper and Newton Counties and moving on to a new assignment.
New pastors will be coming next week to Joplin.
The Norrises announced that they had been reassigned as part of the Salvation Army's regular rotation to move to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and auxiliary Capts. Bill and Deb Middendorp will take over in Jasper and Newton counties.
"June 25 is our farewell Sunday church service," Jennifer Norris said. "Then we're having a lunch after that that's open to anyone who would like to come. The church service is 11 a.m. and lunch following. We farewell on that Sunday and the new leaders welcome on the next Sunday, July 2 at the church at 320 E. Eighth St. in Joplin."
Norris said the couple's reassignment after three years was unexpected, and while they are saddened to leave the friends they've made in Joplin, the new assignment has its perks.
"The good thing is we're moving closer to family," she said. "We raised our kids in Des Moines, Iowa, and when they said Cedar Rapids, Iowa, that's only two hours from home. We have two of our kids who still live in Des Moines and our granddaughter. Two hours compared to six hours is a big difference. We have a grand baby on the way, due in September, so that makes the move a lot easier."
The Norrises were the first pastor of the newly merged Salvation Army of Jasper and Newton Counties, which was created when the Joplin and Carthage Salvation Army corps were merged in July 2020 when they got here.
"We came in July 2020, so it was during the pandemic," Jennifer Norris said. "We did the merger to Jasper and Newton County and we finished building the Emergency Disaster Services building in Joplin that was dedicated in May 2021. It's a garage that holds our emergency vehicles. Then we got the Hope Memorial dedicated just recently. We had the ribbon cutting for that last month. We're trying to finish everything before we leave."
The Carthage Social Service Center was another major project the Norrises wanted to complete before they left.
When the Carthage and Joplin corps merged, the new corps held all its church services in Joplin, making the church the Carthage corps worked out of for 30 years no longer appropriate.
They sold that building to the Congregation of the Mother of the Redeemer, the Catholic monastery across the street, in July 2022 and used the proceeds to buy a new office and small warehouse at 2307 Missouri Ave. in Carthage that was all on one level and easily modified for the Salvation Army's needs.
"It seems like longer than three years, but a lot has happened, especially coming during COVID," Jennifer Norris said. "We've accomplished projects and things, but really made connections with people and that's going to be the hardest part, leaving the people."
The Middendorps welcome service at 11 a.m. July 2 at the church at 320 E. Eighth St. in Joplin.
