Against all odds, Perry church built in 24 hours

PERRY, IA. The Rev. Gregg Davison has stood before his fledgling congregation and told them, If we build it, they will come.

Davison is halfway there. More than 300 Pentecostals from across the country traveled to the heart of Iowa last week to build a house of worship for his church.

The building seemed to literally go up overnight as part of the Church in a Day program created by United Pentecostal Church International, headquartered in Missouri. Professional contractors, many of them volunteers, finish the foundation, plumbing and electricity before erecting the building itself in about 24 hours. More than 80 churches have been completed, including now three in Iowa.

The smell of freshly cut wood on Saturday mingled with the clank of hammers and the buzz of saws. A bustle of men, women and children all calling each other brother and sister worked together toward one purpose.

It has been a long journey for Davison, 41, and his wife. They first came to Perry seven years ago, he said, to start a Bible study at the behest of God. It was two years before the first townsperson joined them. Their faith never wavered.

Without a test, we cant have a testimony, Davison said. We knew if we planted the seed, God said he would bring up a harvest.

Not even the weather has seemed to cooperate. An ice storm hit when the Davisons moved to Perry for good in 2007 to start a home mission.

On Friday, a cold rain pummeled the work site, but the Christians soldiered on. The 20 or so roofers, fed by a steady supply of food and drink by women and children, did not come down until the project was completed. By then the crew had endured several downpours, said Warren Amling, 57, of Dubuque.

The storm dropped hail on parts of central Iowa. The church was sheltered from the pelting, said Amling, who has been in Perry since Tuesday.

It was just one family, one goal. The Lord definitely had his hand in this, Amling said.

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Against all odds, Perry church built in 24 hours