Samaritan’s Purse has been spearheading construction projects in Alaska for the past two decades. Many of these 38 projects have been new worship centers for small churches in remote, roadless areas.
This year, more than 300 staff and volunteers from 34 states built a new church for a congregation in Cordova, Alaska. The port city sits on the edge of Prince William Sound in the south-central section of the state. There are no roads to Cordova—you can only reach it by plane or by ferry.
In the early 1900s, Cordova was a copper mining boomtown, which later became the “Razor Clam Capital of the World.” After a massive earthquake on Good Friday 1964 destroyed the clam beds, commercial fishing later took over.
The weather there is rough: wind gusts up to 150 mph, more than 100 inches of rain a year, and up to 12 feet of snow. Those conditions can be tough on facilities constructed over 60 years ago, like the church building of Cordova Community Baptist. The structure was prone to flooding and, in some places, had “mushrooms in the walls,” said Pastor Mike Glover, who has shepherded the congregation for the past seven years. It needed constant repairs and was also difficult to heat affordably.
Church leadership had been praying for years, trying to figure out what to do next with their limited resources. The work was either not feasible with equipment available in the isolated small town, too expensive, or both.
Then Samaritan’s Purse called. It was a surprise—a very welcome one. Patience was proven to be the right course all along, Pastor Glover said. “This entire process is a living example of waiting on God’s timing,” he said. “Because He doesn’t disappoint us, even when we don’t see the path that’s ahead.”
Samaritan’s Purse supplied labor and finances and handled the complicated logistics of barging in materials to construct a sturdy, multi-use building. Work took place from May-October.
Those months were a blessing for Pastor Glover, who came out nearly every day to help with construction and encourage our volunteers. It was a blessing, he said, “to meet so many people whose hearts are just completely sold out for the Lord. I felt like our church family grew by 300 people.” Several Cordova residents repented and believed in the Lord Jesus Christ through the witness of church members and Samaritan’s Purse staff and volunteers. Some were even baptized in the cool waters of the sound.
Recently completed, the new facility is built to last for many decades. An impressive 40-foot aluminum cross, made by congregant Rob Eckley, is the only aspect of the old building that made it to the new site. In a major celebration for Cordova, the house of worship—which includes a sanctuary, classrooms, fellowship hall, kitchen, and more—was dedicated to God’s glory in a special Sunday morning service on Oct. 11.
“We now have a space for worship, for ministry, and for just sharing life together here that’s safe and healthy to be in,” Pastor Glover said. “People can feel welcome, and hearts can be opened when the Spirit of God moves.”
Longtime church member Dottie Widmann ran an art supply store and taught lessons for years in the neighborhood. She has a heart for evangelism and says the new facility will foster outreach to children and adults during the week. “When I see this, I’m just in awe,” she said. “It’s really nice to have a warm place out of the rain. It’s hospitality that you can offer your community.”
