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Brenham, TX – November 21, 2009. With a name like “Church in a Day,” you’d better be handy with a hammer.
And the 150-plus volunteers who were here to build a sanctuary for Iglesia Pentecostal Unida de Brenham showed just how handy they were, putting up the building in time for church services Sunday.
South Texas Church in a Day brought its skilled workers here to help out the small church, which has experienced some bad luck along the way.
The church purchased a building on Highway 36 North on the outskirts of Brenham, and members and other volunteers were remodeling it when it caught fire Aug. 15. The building was destroyed.
The church has no insurance yet on the building, so members began looking for some way — and some help — to rebuilt.
That’s when South Texas Church in a Day entered the picture.
The organization works under the auspice of the United Pentecostal Church International, going from place to place to build churches for needy congregations.
Bob Steele, who was acting supervisor on this project and who is a volunteer with the program, called it “starter churches.”
“They (congregations) have the theology and promotion skills in order. But most ‘starter churches’ don’t have construction experience,” Steele said. “So this program was started to help that need.”
The original organization was started in Arkansas. A Texas “chapter” was begun about 10 years ago. So far, about 100 churches around the nation have been built by the group.
While the “umbrella” organization is Pentecostal, non-denominational churches have been built in Mexico, London, Belize and the Dominican Republic.
“It’s just classical volunteer people,” said Steele. “You’ll find people from all walks of life and faiths … a broad spectrum of people.”
The concrete slab here was ready to go, and volunteers began arriving Thursday. Work started first on the framing, which was raised Friday morning even before the sun came up.
Bob Reynolds, parking supervisor at the work site and another volunteer, said it’s a sight to behold.
“Usually by 5 in the afternoon, we’ve finished the exterior siding, got the sheetrock in place, all the floating done, all the plumbing and electrical are ready to go,” said Reynolds. “Saturday morning we’ll put in the carpeting and install the sound system, then we’ll do some cleaning up on the grounds.
“We have world-class workmen. They come from all over Texas. We’ve built churches all over Texas. And last year we went over to where The Beatles grew up in the UK and built a church there.”
Reynolds said volunteers develop strong bonds with each other.
“A lot of people who work are family or have been friends for many years. We get to see each other on the projects. There’s quite a few close relationships there,” he said. “It’s a good experience, and it’s a time where we all get together and visit old friends.
“We work hard and we eat good.”
Churches on average are around 4,000 square-feet in size, with sanctuaries capable of holding 200-300 people, said Reynolds. There are also Sunday school and meeting rooms.
Pastor of the church here is the Rev. Mario Argueta.
Brenham Banner Press
