Jehovah's Witnesses from across the region have volunteered to help rebuild an Olympia Kingdom Hall that burned down in a 2018 arson attack.
Volunteers broke ground on the project at the building's original site at 2225 Cain Road SE on Aug. 23. Randy Sweet, a 65-year-old Tumwater resident, said he volunteered for a couple of key reasons.
"Just my love for the community and the excitement of getting our building back up and operational," Sweet said. "It's our place of worship. We're ready to have it up and running again."
About 200 volunteers between 18 and 72 years old had contributed about 2,000 hours of work as of Friday, said public communications representative Manuel Torres.
Nearly half of them are locals who plan to attend services at the hall when it's complete, he said. Others have journeyed from Oregon, Idaho, Montana and as far as Alaska to help, but he said most belong to Washington congregations.
Though volunteers have come from afar, Torres said they have been united by their faith. This has brought congregations across the region closer together, he added.
"Now, we're working shoulder-to-shoulder with them," Torres said. "It's very encouraging to see our friends from neighboring congregations come and volunteer."
The original hall burned down in an arson fire on July 3, 2018. The same hall also suffered an attack on March 19, 2018. Both incidents were part of a string of eight known attacks that also affected Jehovah's Witnesses properties in Yelm, Lacey, Puyallup and Shelton.
Federal law enforcement arrested a primary suspect in the attacks on Sept. 8, 2021. The suspect, Mikey Diamond Starrett, has been accused of unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm, The Olympian previously reported.
However, prosecutors have yet to file any charges in connection with the attacks on the religious halls. Starrett's trial on the firearms charges has been scheduled for Dec. 5, according to court records.
Torres declined to comment on the case. Law enforcement have yet to complete their investigation and has asked Jehovah's Witnesses not to speak about it, he said.
In the aftermath of the Olympia attacks, Sweet said many believers felt afraid and uncertain.
"It was scary not knowing what was happening," Sweet said. "A lot of anxiety for the fear of what else might happen. It was really nerve wracking trying to understand why this would happen."
David Keegan, a Jehovah's Witnesses spokesperson and Puyallup resident, said people in his congregation felt sympathy for their "brothers and sisters" in Olympia.
"We know a lot of people from different areas and so when it happened it was devastating," Keegan said. "But you know seeing this happen and the rebuild go and the spirit that everybody is showing... has been really encouraging."
Sweet's congregation, one of four at the Olympia Hall, moved to a Kingdom Hall in Tumwater, he said. There, they were welcomed to continue practicing their faith until the pandemic hit in 2020.
Torres said Jehovah's Witnesses took a very careful approach to the pandemic and restricted in-person activities. Like many other organizations, he said they turned to Zoom to hold virtual gatherings — a practice that continues to complement their resumed in-person services.
The pandemic also impacted their rebuilding efforts. Torres said construction at the Olympia site was scheduled to start in 2020 but was ultimately delayed more than two years.
"We hold all life sacred," Torres said. "All life is valuable... Safety is always first for us. It would have been very difficult to have a project of this size when the pandemic started."
With construction now underway, Sweet said the new building will provide some improvements to the old design. Those include larger multi-purpose rooms and windows, accessibility improvements and a double-door entry way.
The entire project has been supported by voluntary donations, Sweet said. Even those who cannot participate in construction have contributed through other means.
The break area features a plethora of donated snacks and appliances. Those who sit down for lunch can see children's artwork lining the temporary walls that show support for the workers.
"The outpouring of love from the community and from everyone around us has made this very exciting times for us, to see how much this really means to everybody," Sweet said.
Torres said they expect to finish construction on the Olympia Kingdom Hall in early January.
