Published: March 16, 2007 02:16 pm      

Laying the Foundation

Church preps for 24-hour construction project

PALESTINE — Can a church be built in 24 hours?

According to Church in a Day, the nationally sponsored program of the United Pentecostal Church International, it can be done and has been done many times in the past.

The Iglesia Pentecostal Unida, a daughter church of the United Pentecostal Church of Palestine, will be built completely from top to bottom today by a large group of volunteers from across the state of Texas.

Yes, that’s right — today.

“We will start at 7 a.m. in the morning and will be finished by 7 a.m. Saturday,” the Rev. W.E. Shiflet, pastor of United Pentecostal Church of Palestine, said Thursday afternoon on the new church site. “We’ve built 13 of these (churches) and this is the 14th.

“Some people I’ve told think I’m crazy,” he said with a smile.

Church in a Day is a program daughter churches can apply for once the congregation has achieved certain requirements, Shiflet said.

The only construction that has been done ahead of time is the pouring of the foundation and driveway and the framing of the building.

Iglesia Pentecostal Unida began meeting at United Pentecostal Church of Palestine in December 2004, holding two services a week.

The church is under the leadership of the Rev. Sergio Tinoco, who first approached United Pentecostal Church about starting a Spanish-speaking church to reach out to the Hispanic population in the Palestine area.

“Since the time I’ve been in Palestine I’ve had a vision to be able to reach the Hispanic community to tell them of a better lifestyle for families, to be able to become good citizens, and have better families and better marriages,” Tinoco said Thursday afternoon. “The only way to reach them is spiritually. That’s when families are restored and marriages are united. Our city also comes together because united families make a city and a united nation.

“The only way is Jesus Christ — that’s why we are here,” he continued.

Volunteers from both churches have been doing the preparation work for the construction of Iglesia Pentecostal Unida, and many will be on hand today to help with the Church in a Day program.

“Our congregation is very excited about it — this is something that we’ve wanted to do for years,” Shiflet said. “The Reverend Tinoco is one of the greatest people the world. He is a tremendous teacher of the Scripture.”

Most of the volunteer workers for the Church in the Day program will be coming from Texas including Tyler, Austin, San Antonio, Lufkin, Paris, Nacogdoches, Beaumont, Houston and Northeast Texas.

General superintendent for the project will be David Steele.

At least 1,200 meals will be served throughout the day to the volunteer workers under the direction of a food superintendent.

“We’ve had a lot of people in town give donations,” Shiflet said. “Several merchants have been really good to us — they’ve donated food or materials.”

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Look for a feature story on the completion of the church in Sunday’s edition.

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Cheril Vernon can be contacted via e-mail at community@palestineherald.com