One of the most significant resources for an overseas local ALJC congregation is having its own physical church building – one that is weatherproof, comfortable, appropriately sized, has running water and bathrooms, and presents a positive appearance in the community. Such a building in an ALJC mission field becomes the epicenter of that congregation’s entire ministry in the community. It becomes their place of worship, preaching, discipleship, youth activities, community outreach, humanitarian aid distribution center, Bible training location, and often the residence of the pastor.

While we understand that the “church” is not a building but a community of people, the church building – particularly in overseas fields – is an indispensable part of that congregation’s impact.

The Build-a-Church Initiative is a program of the ALJC World Missions Department that partners U.S. churches with overseas ALJC congregations in need of a church building. The U.S. church becomes a sponsor to the overseas congregation, raises funds, and sends them through the World Missions Department to the congregation in the field. The congregation in the field uses those funds to construct a church building in their community that meets a universal ALJC standard. The sponsoring U.S. church is updated regularly on the progress of the church building project through pictures, videos, and written reports, which can all be shared with the sponsoring congregation. Upon completion of the building, a delegation from the sponsoring church has the opportunity to participate in the dedication of the new church building in the field.

Most of our overseas ALJC congregations are in third-world countries where finances are so scarce that it would take a congregation decades to accumulate enough money to build a church building like the Build-a-Church Initiative seeks to construct. U.S. Churches sponsoring a congregation in the field will move that overseas congregation decades forward. The Build-a-Church Initiative has the potential to dramatically impact ALJC mission fields for years to come by constructing church buildings around the world.

Any ALJC church willing to raise the necessary funds can participate in this initiative.

Any ALJC overseas church that meets the rigorous screening process as outlined below is a candidate for the program

The ALJC World Missions Department will facilitate the connection of a U.S. church that commits to the program with an overseas congregation that has been approved for a church building.

Yes. There are two building options in the Build-a-Church Initiative:

• The Starter Church: The Starter Church is a simple church structure that typically measures 24’ x 30’. It can accommodate 50-60 people and has two basic bathrooms. The starter church is designed to be expanded easily for future growth

  The Standard Church: The Standard Church is a simple church structure that typically measures 48’ x 30. It can accommodate 100-120 people and features two basic bathrooms and two basic classrooms or oZices. The Standard Church can also be expanded easily for future growth.

The Starter Church costs $10,000 to $15,000, depending on the field and available materials. The Standard Church costs $15,000 to $20,000, depending on the field and available materials.

The U.S. Sponsor Church sends funds to the World Missions Department, which holds the funds in escrow until they are periodically requisitioned by the overseas church as needed to pay for materials and labor. The U.S. Sponsor Church can send the funds to the World Missions Department as a lump sum or in quarterly or monthly installments.

The Build-a-Church Initiative is a one-year program. The U.S. Sponsor Church commits to funding the project in full within one year of enrollment, and the church in the field is built within one year from the start of the partnership.

In some fields, it may be possible for the U.S. Sponsor Church to send a team of workers from its congregation on a short-term mission trip to the field to help with any significant element of the construction project. Doing so would require the approval and coordination of the World Missions Department. Any costs associated with sending a team to help with construction would be the responsibility of the U.S. Sponsor Church and would be in addition to the costs of the building.

The ALJC of the U.S. does not own land overseas. The registered ALJC of a particular country owns immovable property in our mission fields. Churches built overseas as part of the Build-a-Church Initiative will be built on property owned by the ALJC of that particular country or on property where the ALJC of that country has a written agreement with the local church that secures a vested ALJC interest in the property.

While the ALJC Missions Department does its best to protect our investments worldwide, any investment overseas is an act done in good faith for the furtherance of the Kingdom of God. There are always risks associated with purchasing property or building structures overseas. While overseas properties are required to be in the name of the overseas ALJC entity, in events such as a foreign pastor leaving the organization and refusing to surrender the property or building, a government seizure of the property or building, land disputes, acts of war, terror or political unrest, etc., our legal remedies are limited.

Only ALJC overseas churches with pastors who have a long-standing relationship with the ALJC and whose commitment to our doctrine and organization is unquestioned will be considered a candidate for the Build-a-Church Initiative. Only candidates unanimously recommended by the corresponding ALJC Regional Field Supervisor, ALJC Missionary, and/or ALJC Superintendent of the corresponding field will be considered. Any prospective recipient of the program must submit a complete application, which must be approved by the aforementioned parties, as well as the World Mission Board and/or the Build-a-Church Board.

The overseas recipient church will send to the U.S. Sponsor Church via the World Missions Department quarterly updates that communicate the progress of the building project. Such updates may include pictures, videos, and written reports that can be shared with the U.S. Sponsor Church’s congregation.

Yes! A U.S. church can build as many overseas churches as it desires and is willing to fund.

Yes! Contact the World Missions Department, which can partner you with another U.S. Sponsor Church.

Our current ALJC-appointed U.S. missionaries are the foundation of our World Missions Department. Without their faithful work in the field, we would not even have ALJC works in countries around the world. It is imperative that we don’t build overseas churches at the expense of our regular monthly support of our current ALJC missionaries. For a U.S. church to decrease its monthly support of our missionaries in order to send funds to build an overseas church would be counterproductive. We ask that our U.S. churches only commit to the Build-a-Church Initiative if they can continue their current level of monthly support of our ALJC missionaries in the field.