EVERETT — The building that will house Delta Community Baptist Church’s multipurpose center is still only a shell with a roof. But that shell came about through hard work from church volunteers and nearly $200,000 in donations, many of them from garage sales and aluminum recycling drives that bit by bit have brought Delta closer to its dream.
Sunday afternoon, more than 100 people from Delta and the three other congregations that worship at the north Everett church celebrated their new building, which the church decided to build with nothing but the faith that God would provide the money to do so.
"This is to thank God and thank the people for leading us this far," said the Rev. Ed Packard, pastor of Delta, as he sat on a folding chair next to piles of games, sports equipment, household decorations and other items. They’re for yet another yard sale and crafts fair at the church — this one May 7 and 8 — and only the latest in the stream of contributions that members of the four congregations have made to build the steel-walled multipurpose center.
In front of Packard, children from the Marshallese Christian Fellowship — about 100 people from the Marshall Islands worship each week at Delta in their native Marshallese — chased each other across the concrete floor while celebrants finished food from a huge potluck meal that preceded the church service.
Like the church itself, the meal was a mix of traditions. There were bobos — rice and coconut balls from the Marshall Islands, golubtze — meat and rice wrapped in cabbage from Russia and Ukraine, and American potato salad and carrot cake.
As the Rev. Mikhail Kochubey, assistant pastor of a Pentecostal congregation for local Russians, Ukrainians and Georgians that worships at Delta, finished a beet salad from a paper plate at the folding table he sat at, he looked around the 83-foot by 60-foot building.
"It’s wonderful to look at it," Kochubey said "There is great happiness in this church today."
In the back of the new building, a huge sign hanging from steel girders with masking tape read, "We’ve Come This Far By Faith! Thank You Jesus!"
In front of the sign, preachers from the four congregations thanked God for the building’s progress.
"God is at work in Everett," said the Rev. John Blake of Riverside Foursquare Christian Fellowship, as Marshallese and Russian translators stood next to him to convey his message to those with limited English. "I’m proud to be associated with a group that really goes out on a limb for God. If God has taken us this far, he will take us he rest of the way."
The crowd responded with "Hallelujah!" and applause.
"It’s going to take faith," Blake said. "But there’s no one more faithful than our God."
The fundraising drive has already netted nearly $180,000, but almost $300,000 more is needed for interior construction and everything from paint to office furniture. The church began collecting money for the project in 1999 and began construction on the center in June.
"This has been slow-going, totally in God’s time," Delta member Roxanne Pilkenton said.
Jo Scarber looked around at the steel girders and the patches of white plastic sheeting that covered insulation. Pipes protruded from the floor where the bathroom will be, and a stainless-steel sink stood in the area that will one day be a kitchen that is 10 times as large as the kitchen in Delta’s basement. The center may only be one big empty space now, but it will inspire church members to try even harder to get it finished, Scarber said.
"Before, it was a vision," she said. "Now that the vision is real, and we can see it, it motivates us to get it done quicker."
The multipurpose center will ease crowding in the 62-year-old church and include a gymnasium and meeting rooms. That will allow the church to expand its after-school activities and more comfortably house concerts, plays and other special events. A second floor will house the church’s offices.
Reporter David Olson:
425-339-3452 or
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