A Dirt Floor, a Zinc Roof and a New Church in a Day: Adventist Leaders Build in the Dominican Republic

• The Villa Caoba Adventist Church in La Romana had 40 members
• They met in a zinc-walled building with a dirt floor that turned to mud in the rain
• A new church was raised on 14 January 2015 for more than US$15,000
• The local conference contributed the land and money

Senior leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church swapped their offices for tools in the Dominican Republic, Inter-American Division News reported in January 2015.

The Villa Caoba Adventist Church in La Romana had about 40 members who met in a humble building with zinc sheeting for its roof and walls, eight worn pews and an uneven dirt floor that became muddy whenever it rained. Children held their Sabbath school classes under a tree behind the building.

On 14 January 2015, church leaders and volunteers coordinated by Maranatha Volunteers International put up a new church in one day. The project was larger than a typical one-day church: it included male and female restrooms, a 200-foot freshwater well and a separate Sabbath school classroom. The local conference contributed the land and money, and the total cost exceeded US$15,000. Maranatha volunteers were scheduled to finish the work about ten days later.

“What a privilege it is to take a break from administrative duties to do something practical,” said Ted N.C. Wilson, president of the world church. “This is a work of multiplication—expanding the church.” Inter-American Division president Israel Leito said: “We are so happy because this assures our members that we are with them, not just sitting on our offices.”

The model depends on three things: land the church already holds, a standard design that can be put up quickly, and outside volunteers and money. It turns a small congregation’s biggest obstacle, the cost of a building, into a manageable project.

Many Jamaican congregations also began in rented rooms, under tents or on donated lots. For those still worshipping in temporary structures, the lesson is that secure land and a simple, repeatable design are the foundation. Once the title is clear, partners at home and in the diaspora can help with materials and labour, and a modest, sturdy building can follow.

Follow Jamaica Homes on Youtube @jamaicahomes and Instagram @jamaica_homes and on Facebook @jamaicahomesnews Send us a message or email us at onlinefeedback@jamaica-homes.com or editor@jamaica-homes.com