EAGLE RIVER, AK (April 28, 2008) \u2013 Living conditions for pastors and church members in rural Alaska could significantly improve thanks to new partnerships with Evangelical Covenant Church conferences.
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\nThe conferences in the lower 48 states are each adopting at least one church and will offer financial support, which is sorely needed, says Rodney Sawyer, field director for the Evangelical Covenant Church of Alaska.<\/p>\n
Villages often are geographically isolated and suffer unemployment rates that can reach 80 percent. Many villagers must live off the land, hunting and farming for their food. \u201cOne (village) still doesn\u2019t have running water,\u201d Sawyer says.<\/p>\n
\u201cWestern Alaska is still very much like going to a foreign country because of the culture,\u201d says Sawyer, noting that Alaska was one of the denomination\u2019s first mission fields.<\/p>\n
Living conditions for pastors can be harsh. \u201cPastors live in poor, unhealthy conditions,\u201d Sawyer says. Many parsonages, for example, do not have enough insulation and are infested with black mold.<\/p>\n
The process of connecting conferences with churches began last fall when superintendents met at Alaska Christian College in Soldotna for their semi-annual meeting. As they heard Alaskan Natives discuss their living conditions, they committed to help.<\/p>\n
Sawyer hopes that, in addition to assisting with construction projects, conferences will provide for pastors in Alaska to attend the annual meeting in the lower 48 states. Pastors could not afford make the trip, he says.<\/p>\n
Sawyer is excited about future work. \u201cI think this will be a tremendous blessing for the conferences and the churches,\u201d he says. \u201cI am just so thankful to God for this marvelous provision of partners.\u201d<\/p>\n
Below is a list of conferences and the churches with which they are partnering:
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Canada \u2013 Hooper Bay Covenant Church
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Central \u2013 Elim Covenant Church
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0East Coast \u2013 Koyuk Covenant Church
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Great Lakes \u2013 Mekoryuk Covenant Church
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Midsouth \u2013 White Mountain Covenant Church
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Midwest – Mountain Village Covenant Church
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0North Pacific \u2013 Scammon Bay Covenant Church
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Northwest \u2013 Unalakleet Covenant Church and Shaktoolik Covenant Church
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Pacific Southwest \u2013 Nome Covenant Church and Golovin Covenant Church
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Southeast \u2013 Bethel Covenant Church<\/p>\n