Volunteers rush to build Kingdom Hall in matter of days
Published Friday, July 25, 2008
Digg
delicious
Facebook
Mixx
Reddit
Stumble It!
FAIRBANKS — Raising the roof beams of a Jehovah’s Witnesses Kingdom Hall is a lesson in cooperative spirit and hard work.
“Ten days from foundation to turnkey” is the work plan, which incorporates a construction system that has been fine-tuned and carried out by Jehovah’s Witnesses congregations the world over, said Dick Baker, chairman of the Alaska Regional Building Committee, which includes Yukon Territory.
On Sunday, the North Pole congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses will gather for worship in a new Kingdom Hall at the corner of Bradway and Badger roads, exactly 10 days since hundreds of volunteers from across Alaska, Yukon Territory and the Lower 48 converged on the two-acre site.
When they arrived, they found only a cement foundation laid in early June and a mechanical room, power hookup and furnaces installed during the Fourth of July weekend.
By Sunday, the 4,500 square-foot structure will be finished inside and out from roofing to carpeting as well as landscaping, with seating for 160 worshippers.
The building features are 8-inch insulated walls with an R-31 insulation value, energy-efficient furnaces and triple-pane windows.
Wednesday, a freshly planted perennial garden bordered the rock-trimmed entrance, while inside and out, a legion of volunteers was painting, installing duct work and adding exterior trim.
“Everyone’s got a job,” Baker said.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses developed the quick build system for a reason.
“It’s primarily so the local congregation can get back to their local responsibility of preaching the good news,” Baker explained. “Our whole purpose is to preach God’s ministry.”
According to Baker, the quick Kingdom Hall construction plan used to take only two days of intensive work, but left too many things undone.
Now, the extended building period allows work leaders to introduce and train their work crews to various construction tasks.
Lowell Hankins, the presiding elder at the North Pole Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation, is no stranger to the worldwide building program. He’s been helping out at Kingdom Hall raisings since 1969.
A lot of people in the trades help out Hankins said. “With the longer building time, we go out of our way to train new people or young people.”
This building season, the Regional Building Committee also is overseeing Kingdom Hall remodeling projects in Wasilla and Kodiak, and will be putting up a new Kingdom Hall in Eagle River in mid-September.
The RBC consists of five main members, each with assistants who oversee five functions: construction, concept to slab, structure, construction support and a coordinator.
“That’s me,” laughed Baker. “I’m the nagger. I worry these guys to death.”
The building site averages 200 volunteers a day, peaking to 250 at times depending on the work schedule.
The bevy of activity is highly organized from safety and security at the entrance to site layout.
Trailers and tents circling the site perimeter house a first aid station, kitchen, paint shed, various offices, communication center, and a pod of portable toilets are conveniently placed off to the far side. A shuttle service provides regular transportation for those who need it.
Many of the volunteers are housed with local congregation families.
The work force is almost evenly split between male and female, Baker said.
The female members of the Frye family from Homer, Alissa, 25, Camille, 19, Hannah, 17, and Julie, 16, headed up by mother Rebecca, are lending their painting expertise learned from their father.
Most crews put down their tools by 10 p.m. each evening, but the previous night the paint crew was on the job until 3 a.m. Wednesday morning.
“You work until the job is done,” Hannah said. “We had a great crew. You really get to know people when you get a little tired and goofy.”
A Visqueen-covered kitchen starts in the early morning hours to feed the hungry crews three meals a day.
Wayne Halcomb, who is overseeing the food service, provides the basics and puts no limitations on the menus.
“All the cooks come together and brainstorm,” he said.
Halcomb said the kitchen serves a dual purpose. It not only feeds the volunteers but serves as a teaching program as well.
“Three people have passed their food handlers tests with 100 percent,” he said.
The training also looks to the future.
“If we ever had a national disaster, we’ll have a trained (volunteer food service) team that will be able to go wherever needed,” he said.
Donna Fry of Hawaii, was the lead cook Wednesday, bringing an Asian flair to the dinner menu of teriyaki chicken, fried rice and Japanese cold noodle salad. A nearby snack shack was loaded down with a variety of sweets and desserts.
“When we have a lull in here, we say let’s bake something,” Trish Merritt of Kenai said.
“We’re baking bread tonight for French toast on Friday,” she added.
The North Pole Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation sold its previous home in November, and the proceeds from the sale and contributions provided the funds to buy the land and pay for construction materials and costs estimated at approximately $400,000.
The labor has all been volunteer.
“It’s a labor of love,” Baker said.
Community Discussion
Newsminer.com doesn't necessarily condone the comments here, nor does it review every post. Read our full user's agreement.
(This comment was removed by the Newsminer.com staff. Please see our User Agreement for further information.)
At least they aren't Scientologists, or those creepy Bible Baptist cultists. They have been nothing but nice to me every time I have encountered one.
JJ, If you don't like the ways of the JH, don't join. I don't care what they do because it doesn't affect me.... or you probably. As a child I was raised as a JH, but as an adult I have chosen not to be a part in that anymore. Sure they have "questionable" practices, but ALL religions do. And at least they don't allow their children to be molested by their preachers like at least one religion in particular has for years and years without taking any action.
Correction to my last comment: I used the initials "JH", when it should have been "JW"
I'm going to go out on a limb and say JJ is a Bible Baptist,i'm not a JH but i think it's great the people are coming together as a group of volunteers and building there hall without begging for money or skimming it like our previous Mayor.
How may churches or Bible thumpers do we need? Use the empty buildings and renovate them! what a waste of money.
Instead of griping about their religion, why don't we ask them to build a pipeline? Probably be done a lot quicker.
how many negitive comments are on the letters to the editor daily? seems like people cant wait to say something bad about someone else.
i dont know a thing about JW's but i like the way people all came together for a great cause.
what if more of us did the same for a cause.....priceless! the way America and Alaska used to be. Remember when the old rich was the only way to town and if you broke down everyone stopped to give a hand? now with the way the hwy is your lucky if anyone stops
Peace
I do not attend or belong to JW church nor do I believe in their beliefs. But, to attack them because of article that shows people coming together to help build a place where they can attend is so mean spirted and ugly. Is their not any thing written that there is people complaining and putting down people. Instead why don't you go there and help out and meet people who believe different. It doesn't mean you have to agree. Maybe this world or our community would get along better. Mamma said if you don't have anything good to say about somebody don't say it all.
grouchy, great idea. Get done quicker without the cost overruns.
Grouchyholyman
Good idea!
If they built the pipeline it would be done this year, and with no corruption involved.
they build the pipeline...soon the JH would be the richest cult in the world...:) albiet the pipeline would be built.
Hmmm, according to the JW's, the world should have ended YEARS ago. Why then are they building more churches??
Wow - why all the negativity? I'm amazed they can do such a building so quickly. And FYI, they prefer being called Witnesses instead of JWs.
Most of the people commenting seem to have a real hatred of these people. That's hardly the community spirit.
You know I've chose to be a nonpartisan in politics and nondenominational in religion. I've found too many of us are judgmental instead of seeing the good. I know and care for people of all faiths.We can learn from each other.
What these folks are doing is remarkable. Instead of pointing fingers and judging them, think about how much better off we would be if we all would pick up a hammer and help each other.
I'm not going to bash them. They're far more motivated than me. I'm too busy posting on newsminer.com to get anything accomplished.
I don't know why the DNM continues this comment section w/ the many negative comments that are posted on a regular basis. If you can't say something nice.....or constructive....then don't say anything at all.
I live right by there and was able to see the day to day progress... it was amazing!!! There was a just a foundation two thursdays ago now the building is done! Reminds me of the farmers back in Texas and the barn raising, wish that everyone could come together and help!There are people in need of workers, I myself am going to try to get together with Habitat for Humanity and help build a house... no religious tie. Perfect place for those who don't want to be converted!
Welcome Neighbors
I mean, curse you, newsminer.com. You've created a cult of your own (let's call call it the Fairbanks congregation of Layabouts' Witnesses). Our time is consumed, our minds driven to distraction. Verily we come each day to bear witness to each of these stories and offer our deepest and most uninformed thoughts. We gather ourselves like a Quaker meeting (except for the fact that Quakers generally know when to keep their mouths closed). We rant and rave like Baptists. Some of us appear to be speaking (or, at least, typing) in tongues like Pentecostals. We work with evangelical furor at converting each other to our causes. And daily new converts arrive here at the temple (this website).
And you people think the Jehovah's Witnesses have problems?
Pretty cool story!
Amen, Dr. C, Amen!
This is a lovely article! With all the bad news today, it's nice to see DNM featuring something positive on the front page. What a great way to start my weekend!
As for those commentors who anonymously, and agressively, post inflamatory messages against organizations and the people who belong to them... well you're not brave enough to sign you name to your comments. I can chose to ignore your attacks.
-RK
Way to GO Jahovah Witnesses !!! How can any of you condem people, who work without pay, work together, and LOOK at their accomplishment.
I believe these people deserve to be applauded not critisized.
Now, if we could just get the rest of the community to volunteer, work together say to clean up all the garbage thrown everywhere, help fix-up poor prople's homes, look at what we could achieve as a community.
We can ALL take a lesson from these people.
For once, I agree with you, AlaskaCurmudgeon! Well said!
Spirit of Alaska, my Mama said the same thing: "Mamma said if you don't have anything good to say about somebody don't say it all."
But she also taught me the truth about the people who call themselves Jehovah's Witnesses. When I was a kid, the Kingdom Halls were always small concrete block buildings with a few tiny windows. The reason was that people understood and hated their teachings, and their buildings were often vandalized.
Please don't call these people Bible thumpers. They are not. And they have no "good news" to preach to anyone. According to their beliefs, the population of "Heaven" was decided long ago, and our only hope is to have a better earth to live on. They are NOT a Christian organization, although they have worked hard to appear "mainstream" in order to gain acceptance. They claim to have "Bible studies," but they have their own "Scriptures," and the "Bible" they use is a book that has been re-written to support their own strange beliefs.
I saw a little of the construction going on and it was awesome to see what people with a little organization and motivation accomplished in only ten days.
(This comment was removed by the Newsminer.com staff. Please see our User Agreement for further information.)
Quite abit of "organization & planning" ggoes into building a congregation - ffrom site plans, local building codes and county government. Overall, it could take months before the okay is given to begin building, according to the locale. This is done on a volunteer basis.
Since the 70's - the number of witnesses as grown to over 7 million...with an average of 14 million Bible studies held yearly.
Witnesses build smaller congregations because it also allows those who attend to focus on the needs of individuals on a personal level. An average congregation holds about 150 or less/more depending on the area.
The focus is on educating attendes about God's word, and help them be affective ministers of God's Word.
The fact remains that every Jehovah's Witness is a preacher of the Bible - even young ones share in the ministry down to the oldest. Their love for their neighbor is evident because of this preaching work. In spite of all they do, they still have to work hard to support their own families. Yet, they take the time (freely) to go to others and let them know about the future that God has prepared for our world. Witnesses base their teachings on scriptural truths, not pagan beliefs.
Overall, Jehovah's Witnesses don't try to be pushy about their belief, they are hard working people trying to do the best they can and live up to the high standards set in God's Word. Matthew 24:14
Yes, the RBC is an amazing balance of, engineering, cooperation, dedication, consideration, charity & most of all true christian love & spirit. I have had the opportunity to assist in a very limited way with the renovation of a Kingdom Hall under the local RBC supervision here in Texas. Witnesses of all ages, ethnic groups, social standing, and gender worked together without pay to accomplish a given goal in an organized, well supervised and loving manner. No disputes, no egos, no bossy bosses, just a willingness to get the job done. I am a mainframe systems programmer by profession, but learned to lay & tie rebar, smooth concrete and other such tasks right alongside other brothers & sisters in the congregation ... some considerably older & younger than I.
Contrary to several comments made -
Jehovah's Witnesses do not have "their own scriptures".
While various faiths read a Bible according to the King James Version, and/or various other modern day versions -
the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Bible)
used by Jehovah's Witnesses - is accurate in it's scriptural context.
Sincere interested folks are welcome to ask Jehovah's Witnesses personally, about any questions or concerns they may have regarding our beliefs. I always feel that it is best to go to the source for answers, than to take heed of any hearsay, gossip or prejudices formulated by personal opinion of those not involved, on any account.
I want to personally thank this newspaper for writing an article about
the building process. Though it may open the way for criticism, it also allows for some insight into the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses. If anyone is interested further about JW's - please feel free to visit their website - www.watchtower.org . There is a link on that website that offers Bible reading - online. This would be an opportunity to compare your own Bible and see for yourself. It also gives hope, education and encouragement to those seeking answers for any personal issues.
Thank you,
Juliana in Chester, Virginia
A brief reply to 'AlaskaFlower' above. First, I don't think you were particularly mean spirited in your comments however I feel it only fair to correct a couple of your statements which were completely incorrect. Not to blame you necessarily; it could be that you are simply misinformed, which when it comes to Jehovah's Witnesses that happens quite frequently.
Just two things.
1. It is very easily verified that the 'New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures' is indeed considered by experts, translators, and linguists to be one of the most accurate and unbiased translations. It is highly praised by Bible societies. Look it up : )
2. No 'Good News'...? Really...? How about this quote from one Seattle online newpaper just snagged at random:
"Jehovah's Witnesses believe the corrupt worldly system, as we know it, will end soon and that God will set up an earthly paradise after the battle of Armageddon.
They believe 144,000 people will go to heaven and serve as co-rulers in God's kingdom and that billions of people will have the opportunity to live forever in perfect health on Earth."
I don't know about you, but that sounds pretty darn good to me! : ) Actually, if you think about it, that is the way it all started, wasn't it? Two perfect people in paradise with the purpose of 'filling the Earth' with perfect people. I've certainly heard a lot worse!
(Sorry about the 'anonymous' setting; I don't know how to change it : ) Jaime A. Fulton - California
Having been a part of this Kingdom Hall building project I would like to thank the FNM for showing interest and taking the time to write this article.
My husband and I spent nearly two weeks in your community and had only positive experiences. The RV park owner who welcomed us was very helpful and hospitable. The store clerks and restaurant servers expressed interest in our reason for visiting and most of the vendors went out of their way to supply the goods and services that we needed. Many Thanks.
Our motivation in spending our time and money to come and work on this Kingdom Hall is love for our brothers in North Pole but it quickly turns almost selfish because we have such a blast working with old friends and making new ones. I certainly proves Jesus' words true. There is more happiness in giving than in receiving.
All I have to say is I'm impressed. I drove by one morning and saw people lifting the first wall. That night they were putting trusses in place. The next day siding and roofing. Incredible work for any group. Well done and congratulations on a nice new building.
here is something to think about... why do these people go door to door, in the freezing cold, wanting to tell other people good news from the bible and not want any money, all volunteer time, then spend volunteer time to build a kingdom hall? maybe they have something important to say. maybe we should listen to them or at least recognize the good that they do instead of being critical.
Just a side thought not to belabor the subject of attitudes shown against Jehovah's Witnesses but in general the world can't help themselves. 1 John 4:19 "...........the whole world is lying in the [power of the] wicked one."
Christ said “Happy are you when people reproach you and persecute you and lyingly say every sort of wicked thing against you for my sake.”—MATTHEW 5:11. What does Christ mean?
WHEN Jesus first sent out his apostles to preach the Kingdom, he warned them that they would encounter opposition. He told them: “You will be objects of hatred by all people on account of my name.” (Matthew 10:5-18, 22) If you follow Jesus Christ foot steps closely and preach the truth of Gods word you will be apposing Satan. Opposing Satan will bring his wrath in one form or another. Examine what it means to be a true foot step follower of Christ and whether or not this is a course you want to follow.
If you wish to reply write to rhansen12033@aol.com
Jehovahs Witnesses help eachother build homes for their "members" much in the same way as they are building this Hall. Say what you want about their religion, but they ARE good hearted, helping people.
We just started the foundation work for a new Kingdom Hall here in Florida I have been privileged to volunteer time and energy towards these construction projects since I was a teenager. I now have three children of my own who when old enough want to be involved. I want to send my christian love to all the brothers and sisters in your area and to all of those who helped. I would also like to just say please the next time a Witness comes to your door just listen with an open mind what can it hurt. Jehovah God created everyone with free will it's your choice wether you want to serve him or not. Just make the choice an educated choice. John 17:3 Find out for yourself what the Bible really teaches instead of just listening to what someone tells you. You might be surprised. We really don't bite.
T.Hurley, Florida
If the Witnesses were in charge of rebuilding after hurricane Katrina- it would have been done in a matter of months- not years and still counting. They obviously have a "higher power" that is with these people. No other church organization does this nor can. If they do anything- it is with collecting millions of dollars from other people wishing to "be saved" then they spend it on their priests living large or paying our law suits against their pedophiling priests.
Living in a paradise earth forever- doesn't sound all that bad to me, better than floating on a cloud in heaven. Maybe we ought to give these people credit.
I think it is wonderful and a preview of what the earth will be like when all peoples work together in love under God's government. Where all will share in the work of restoring the earth to the paradise it once was when it was given to Adam and Eve. Adam lost it and lost the chance for all mankind to live there but Jehovah God gave his only begotten son, Jesus, in order that mankind may one day have the chance to take back what Adam lost for all mankind. It is all to Jehovah God's glory because it is his Holy Spirit that makes it get done. We all work for him willingly without pay because he is our Loving Heavenly Father and the Universal Sovereign. Praise Jehovah you people for He is Almighty and powerful. I thank newsminer.com for publishing this story.
Post a comment
Commenting requires registration.