Story number 4 for 20 Mar 2000

Meanwhile, an American church building project is helping a church congregation in Russia. Brian Smith is the pastor of the Geneva Presbyterian Church in Canton, Michigan. Smith says their plan is to assist a church connected with SEND International. “We had made a decision when we were going to expand our facility, that we would tithe 10-percent of what was given to the building to help build other churches. The campaign ended up raising about $900,000 so we’re going to give away about $90,000 to other churches. We decided to support really three other ministries, the primary one being to build a church in Divnogorsk, Siberia.” Smith explains this particular church has a need, not unusual in Russia. “They’ve got about 150 worshipers that were meeting basically in a public building, but then the Russian authorities really was cracking down on that. So, they need to build their own facility. They have bought the land. They’re planning, this Spring, to begin construction.” Smith says they’re sending a work team to help.