Nick Evenson/Maranatha Volunteers International
Nick Evenson/Maranatha Volunteers International
The Ooltewah Hispanic Church held a dedication service for their new church home on February 12, 2022, built in-part by a team of dedicated volunteers. The new building sits on Ooltewah-Ringgold Road just two miles from Southern Adventist University.
The journey for the new church building began when the property was first purchased in 2017. The idea first came from a college-aged young woman, who worked as a tutor for the daughter of the property owners. It was this young woman who thought the property would be a great spot for a church. When COVID-19 hit the United States, there was some concern that the project wouldn’t take off. Nevertheless, construction began in August of 2020 and lasted 14 months.
“Maranatha International was the reason we were able to know how to begin and complete the building project,” says Tony Sandoval, Ooltewah Hispanic pastor. “They provided the architectural plans and coordinated 56 volunteers [who] spent two weeks erecting the wooden frame of the structure and put on a roof. Maranatha also coordinated with the general contractor, site developer, and major contractors all while having a loving Christ-like approach. They were a huge blessing!”
Roger Hatch, along with his wife, Eli, daughter, Pam, and son-in-law, Dave Wilbur, made a personal commitment to see the church project through. Hatch sits on the board of Maranatha and worked as a contractor for more than 50 years. Hatch and Wilbur had the wisdom and muscle to do the project, but there was still a need for a local general contractor to pull the permits. Nick Joy answered the call. They began clearing trees, moving dirt, and laid a concrete cement slab foundation in time for the Maranatha volunteers in October of 2020. Even after the other volunteers left, Hatch, Wilbur and their families remained at the property, living in their RVs for several more months, coordinating the subcontractors.
Ooltewah Hispanic Church now has a new building to call home. On Sabbath morning before the dedication, Miguel Tirado, Conference Latin-American ministries director, preached that from way before any of us existed, God knew that land one day would have a church.
Later in the day, Gary Rustad, Conference president, gave a powerful dedication message based on 1 Kings 6:12, where God reminds King Solomon during the construction of the temple to encourage him and remind Solomon that God is his judge and still on the throne. Rustad also shared that a church isn’t just a physical building, but rather the church members are the true living temples as a light in the community.
During the dedication service, Kenneth Weiss, executive vice president for Maranatha International, challenged the members to continue growing and building churches in the area. Several volunteers who helped with the building project were also in attendance.
“During seminary at Andrews University, I was taught many wonderful things,” says Sandoval. “Unfortunately, building a church building was not one of them. If I had to do it all over again, I would have a better idea what to expect. I have to admit I always saw God moving at every step.”
Georgia-Cumberland | May 2022
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