Across The Nation
RESOLVED
By Aaron Keller (Photos by Cody Rheault)
Every project MOVE Ministries takes on has its own theme. The theme for this year’s construction project was “Resolved.” Resolved means firmly determined. We intend that every project we take on will outlast us, that what we build will be used as a place for ministry for generations. When we build a structure, we prefer it to be made of block and mortar because of their longevity.
In 1993 MOVE Ministries helped construct First Church of the Open Bible in Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The church had been under construction for three years, and we helped it reach completion. In 2003 we returned and tiled the floor and completed various projects around the island.
April 9, 2021, the volcano La Soufrière erupted after 42 years of dormancy. Ash spewed as high as 23,000 feet in the air and eventually covered the island. Most of Saint Vincent was covered with a three-inch layer of ash; some areas were covered with more than a foot. The hot ash had an adverse effect on the steel roof of the church, creating points of water intrusion.
We like to use steel for the roofs in all the projects we do now. Our trusses, the purlins that span the trusses, and the roof itself are all comprised of steel. Back in 1993, we used wood purlins to span our steel trusses. In the 30 years since, termites and worms had eaten away at the wood and compromised the roof. The building badly needed repair.
On January 25, 2023, our crew of 26 men landed in Saint Vincent resolved to see this church used for generations to come. We had developed a plan for demolition. What we thought would take two days to demo took our crew only one. We encountered a significant problem though. The plywood ceiling that had been installed had created a home for bats. All the men wore masks and carefully removed the plywood, and we focused on promptly removing all the bat feces. Over the next few days, bats would continually be flying over our heads, trying to find their home.
We had been moving very quickly and by Tuesday, January 31, we were beginning to place new roof steel on the north side of building. We had men on the ground inside the church sending roof steel up to men on scaffolding who would then send it up to men up on top of the roof.
Not everything went according to plan. One of our men, Bob Foss, who was up on the scaffolding, accidentally stepped off and fell seven feet, landing on his left shoulder and head. Thankfully, we had two EMTs on the job site at the time who quickly got to work. They checked his vitals and tended to a head wound that ended up being a laceration from his glasses.
The crew fashioned a spine board stretcher out of plywood and put a cervical collar around Bob’s neck. The crew immediately prayed for him and called for emergency assistance. When the dispatcher said that an ambulance could be there in an hour, we opted to take Bob to the hospital in a mini-van owned by someone in the church. Our crew trusted in the Lord’s divine hand. Over the next day and a half, hospital staff performed multiple x-rays, a CT scan, bloodwork, and an ultrasound. They determined Bob had significant bruising and a dislocated clavicle. Miraculously, there was no significant damage to the head, neck, or spine. It was a miracle!
After Bob returned home, however, he learned that he had four broken ribs in addition to the dislocated clavicle. While I wish that could have been discovered during his initial hospital stay, we are thankful for the results. We know that God protected him.
While Bob recuperated at the hotel, the rest of the crew focused on completing the project. We realized we were ahead of schedule and started looking around for other small jobs we could complete before we left. We patched the walls and painted the interior of the sanctuary, painted the wrought iron fence out front, and removed some signage as the church plans to make some updates in the future.
We had the pleasure of Mike and Pam Lumbard, leaders of the School of Global Leadership, joining us for the last half of the project. It had been a desire of ours for them to lead our team in outreach opportunities. While there, our team ministered at a boys’ home and a prison. I appreciate the Lumbards’ leadership in providing instruction to those who would minister before they were sent out and debriefing them after they completed their outreach. This proved to be an area of growth for our men and adds more depth to our ministry.
On February 7, we completed the project. That evening we held a dedication service for the church, prayed over the building and the church leaders, and worshiped together. We anticipate the Lord to do great things through the Kingstown church. God has placed tremendous leaders there in Pastor Chad and Crystal Greaves.
MOVE Ministries is able to continue to construct buildings of ministry around the world because of our generous supporters. We thank everyone who prays for our crew and their projects and those who financially make all this possible. It is with great anticipation we move forward to construct a church in Lemkachao, Thailand, next January 2024. Whether you want to join our crew for that project or would like to support MOVE in this upcoming project, please visit www.moveministries.org.
About the Author
Aaron Keller is the National Director for MOVE Ministries and the lead pastor of Sunshine Open Bible Church in Des Moines, Iowa. MOVE Ministries started in 1981 and has completed 45 projects around the world.
On September 19-21, pastors from around the country gathered for the 2024 Open Bible National Hispanic Conference, held in Antioch, California. Attendees of the conference numbered close to one hundred and represented nineteen different Open Bible churches. Templo Santo Community Church was the hosting church for the conference, and our theme was “CHANGED: Transformed to Transform.” We were blessed with the presence of powerful speakers: President Michael Nortune, Dr. Nicholas Venditti, and Pastors John Mendez, Michael Zakarian, and Caleb Plummer.
The Church as a whole, the Open Bible denomination, and Hispanic Ministries are needed for such a time as this.
The conference started with a welcome dinner where pastors and leaders were able to reconnect with old friends and connect with new friends who were first-time attenders. We had a powerful night of worship during which President Nortune spoke a prophetic word about entering a new season. God has opened a wide door for Open Bible, and new opportunities are on the horizon for our ministries.
Throughout the following days, we heard challenging messages on embracing our vision (Dr. Venditti), navigating culturing changes (Pastor Mendez), loving and embracing the next generation (Pastors Zakarian and Plummer), and depending on the presence of God (President Nortune). In addition to these incredible sessions, we had the opportunity to explore the beautiful city of San Francisco and the surrounding areas.
In our closing session, Pastor Mendez encouraged us that we were chosen for this time in history. The Church as a whole, the Open Bible denomination, and Hispanic Ministries are needed for such a time as this.
As we concluded with a time for more fellowship, here are a few of the things we heard people saying:
“This conference exceeded my expectations.”
“I felt the love and unity within the Hispanic Ministries.”
“The messages were relevant for our time.”
“Best conference ever!”
We look forward to what God has in store for Open Bible’s Hispanic Ministries. We believe that a door has been opened for our dream to come to life – having a Hispanic ministry in every state in this nation.
About the Author
Jorge Navarrete
Jorge Navarrete was appointed as the senior pastor of Templo Santo Community Church in May 2002. Prior to that, he served as youth pastor, Sunday school teacher, member of the Board of Elders, and as church administrator for Templo Santo. In May 2017, Jorge was appointed to serve in his current role as Director of the Hispanic Ministries for the West Sector. Pastor Navarrete also works for the Supreme Court of California as the Clerk/Executive Officer. He has served in this role since 2016.
There are over 10,000 homeless citizens in Lee County, Florida, but thanks to a creative nonprofit idea and a fully sponsored shower trailer, Open Bible Community Church (OBCC) has found a unique way to serve them.
Located in North Fort Myers, OBCC is pastored by Joe and Pat VanEst. When Hurricane Ian hit their county in 2022 and homelessness exploded, pastors Joe and Pat responded by founding “Hope Ambassadors,” a nonprofit designed to empower individuals through disaster relief and ongoing rehabilitative efforts.
Beginning by providing food and hygiene kits to homeless communities, the team soon realized there was a need for showering facilities. Through a string of miracles and one philanthropic donor, a shower trailer was purchased, and Hope Ambassadors now owns the only shower trailer in Southwest Florida. Housing two rooms and ten total shower units, the trailer visits two homeless communities twice a week and has already provided nearly 500 showers to families in need.
“This has totally changed the thinking of our church,” says Pastor Joe VanEst. “We are building relationships with these folks, and it’s only a matter of time until we can share Jesus with them.” Already, the church has seen growth from visitors who have come to church after using the shower trailer.
Hope Ambassadors is quickly building relationships with other local nonprofits that provide services like haircuts, food, and clothing. Future dreams include creating a commercial kitchen that would create nutritious, freeze-dried meals for hungry families. Hope Ambassadors’ mission statement is “To heal communities in the spirit of unity,” and thanks to God’s grace and provision, they are well on their way.
“This has totally changed the thinking of our church”
Rehoboth Open Bible Church has stood strong for forty-five years. Our journey began in the cozy apartment living room of Revs. Easton and Joy Grant in Brooklyn, New York, with seven adults and seven children. As the years passed and our congregation flourished, outgrowing the capacity of two hundred set by the NYC Department of Buildings, the church initiated a second service in 1998 and began an arduous search for a new, larger home, a journey that has tested our determination and resilience.
Finding a suitable space to meet [in Brooklyn] is daunting, with people seeming to occupy every square inch
Brooklyn, one of the most densely populated counties in the United States, presents a unique set of challenges for churches. Finding a suitable space to meet is daunting, with people seeming to occupy every square inch. There are no new spaces for churches in New York. Currently existing churches were originally built in the 1800s, often by Catholics and Presbyterians; modern churches must convert commercial spaces or purchase existing spaces occupied by older churches or temples. Even when property can be found, political and business environs do not want such valuable real estate removed from the tax roll and often restrict access by religious non-profit organizations. Thus, most churches in Brooklyn are classified as storefronts, utilizing small commercial retail spaces or the front rooms of homes.
When we were appointed as pastors of Rehoboth in 2011, the search for a larger facility was already ongoing. Four months into our role, we drove by a former Jewish temple on 888 East 56th Street which had a sign saying, “For Sale or Triple Net Lease.” Despite our uncertainty, we called the listed number and met with the owner.
Most of the property was in a deplorable condition, requiring eyes of faith to visualize its value. Based on the redlining lending practices of the neighborhood and commercial banks’ refusal to lend to churches, the likelihood of acquisition was slim to none. Negotiations were painful, but after numerous meetings and much prayer, two years later we achieved an owner-seller financing purchase. That was the first miracle in the journey to 888, since we would not have been able to qualify for financing on the open market.
The purchase consumed all the church’s savings and more. Despite this, God provided monthly mortgage payments of $16.1k while funding the church’s day-to-day operations, our second miracle.
888 East 56th Street is more than a building. It continues the legacy of bringing Rehoboth’s soul to life.
We launched a three-year capital campaign in 2015 that proved God’s power in Rehoboth’s life at a new level. Like Gideon, God used a small group to catch the vision, amassing funds exceeding the pledged amount by nearly forty percent! God’s faithfulness gave birth to the third miracle – providing the equity needed to match our upcoming construction loan.
In 2019, six years after purchasing the property, we obtained a construction loan and refinanced the seller’s note at a lower interest rate, providing more funds for renovation – miracle number four.
With much excitement after the groundbreaking in December 2019, construction began in March 2020. Three weeks in, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, sending NYC spiraling. The city that never sleeps shut down tight for three months. While COVID-19 kept us all enclosed, our property renovations were in limbo. Unattended projects suffered, material prices quadrupled, and labor costs followed suit.
The challenge of dealing with unscrupulous consultants, renegotiating contracts, finding new subcontractors, confronting disfavored lending practices, and seeking to manage construction timelines was an enormous feat. But God provided miracle after miracle by granting favor, stretching finances, creating new alliances, empowering us with new boldness to advocate, and providing the changes we needed while keeping our integrity intact. As one major devious player on the project stated, “With all that I have done, you should not be here. I know God is with you.” To which we say, “Yes, Amen!” God is with us.
On Palm Sunday, March 24, 2024, we held our final service at our previous address. Afterward, we marched to 888 East 56th Street with a police escort and a drumline, waving palm branches and flags in joyous jubilation. Our seniors who were unable to walk traveled via cars behind the marchers. All reveled in the moment, singing and giving God thanks as we beheld the miracle on East 56th Street and rejoiced in what God had done!
Upon arrival, we introduced ourselves to the community, recited Psalm 24, opened the doors, and let the King of Glory in! We then held our first service at 888, celebrating jubilantly the fulfillment of the biblical promise our church name represents. The founders of our church chose the name “Rehoboth,” taken from Genesis 26:22:
And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So, he called its name Rehoboth because he said, ‘For now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land’ (NKJV).
888 East 56th Street is more than a building. It continues the legacy of bringing Rehoboth’s soul to life, providing room to become, belong, and believe for those who are here and those who are yet to come. What God said with His mouth, He has fulfilled with His hands this day for His glory. He has made room for us!
About the Author
Leroy and Dalton Spencer
Leroy and Dalton Spencer are the lead pastors at Rehoboth Open Bible Church, in Brooklyn, New York. They have been members of Rehoboth for over 25 years, serving in various capacities before assuming the helm in 2011. They are passionate about advancing the kingdom of God, prayer, and caring for the sheep with a good shepherd’s heart. Leroy and Dalton believe people are our greatest asset and fully embrace the mandate to bring them to maturity by equipping them with the Word and life skills.
