CAPE CORAL CHURCH BURNS MORTGAGE

by Gladys Neigel
Three years is a short timeline in the history of a church trying to establish itself in the community. However, for the Cape Coral, Fla., congregation, this span of time propelled a small mission group into a full-fledged church.
In the process, a church building on five acres of land was purchased and the mortgage paid off within a year. The money for the purchase resulted from an aggressive fund-raising campaign organized by the church’s property development team. However, the foundation of the effort to raise a substantial down payment was the generous donation of $100,000, followed by a matching donation of $150,000 offered by a visitor to the church.
As the church’s third anniversary neared, God provided yet another donor to help retire the remaining debt. He also moved upon the hearts of several generous people to provide the church with a professional lawn tractor, a piano, and an organ.
Volunteers kept the church functioning and running smoothly, which also contributed to preparing the way for the mortgage-burning ceremony where Noel Shanko, Assistant to the Florida Conference President, gave the main address.
The driving force behind this amazing story has been the dream of Roger Lucas and his wife, Teresa, since they first visited the area in 1994. Serving as lay pastor, Lucas continues to remind the congregation, “We cannot occupy a building simply for our comfort. We must remember that evangelism and disciple-making are the key points of why we came to Cape Coral and essential for all we do in the future.”