Church roof turned into a symbol of giving

The big hail storm last August did a lot of damage in Maryville, but the members of one local church found inspiration in the destruction a spirit of sharing that has led them to reach out to a tiny east African village more than 8,000 miles distant from Nodaway County.

After the storm, the First Presbyterian Church of Maryville learned that its building would need a new roof. At around $70,000, it was not a cheap fix. Even with an insurance settlement and some money bequeathed from the estate of a deceased member, the small congregation about 100 people altogether was hard pressed to come up with the cash.

But then someone got to thinking, wasn't there a way to turn a negative into a positive? How could the church transform something as mundane even as a new roof into an expression of the congregation's faith and willingness to minister to others?

The answer came in the form of a tithe, the Old Testament principal that 10 percent of a faith community's resources should be offered to God.

Tithing as an expression of faith is perhaps most famously described in Malachi 3.10: "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing "

In others words, give God a little, and God will give you a lot.

So the decision was made: First Presbyterian would raise 10 percent over what it cost to fix the roof and dedicate the additional funds to the Lord's work. But what work would that be?

As it happened there is a pastor named David Nzioka at the Swahili-speaking Neema Community Fellowship in Kansas City. Nzioka grew up in Thwake Village, Kenya, and his Neema Fellowship and First Presbyterian both belong to the Heartland Presbytery, an association of about 100 Midwestern Presbyterian churches.

First Presbyterian Pastor Jonathan Mitchell and Nzioka know one another and began talking about the possibility of some sort of partnership. Since Nzioka is heavily involved in mission work on behalf of his native village, Mitchell asked him what Thwake needed that would cost, say, around $7,000.

The answer was, "A church."

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Church roof turned into a symbol of giving