Why do Christians build churches in afica and other poor nations?

Question

Especially when there are millions of starving children in Africa. How can these people waste resources to build churches. Think about how much money a church costs in food and how many childrens lives were lost for one church.

Answer 1

Good point... agree with you. But if a private person sends money to build a church... what is wrong with that? The focus though is and should be to care for the starving. Compassion International has the best success in this area. They don't build churches... they build schools.

Answer 2

Like it or not, it is difficult to help people without a building or base of operations to work from. Consider this, though: if the missionaries use their own free labor and skills, a simple church building is actually very cheap to construct, especially in third world countries. Once built, the building can serve as a storage facility, and distributor of charitable contributions, and a meeting place where members of a society can strengthen their bonds to each other. Usually, these church buildings double as schools, as well. There is little better we can give a child than the power to improve their own lives through education. Also, faith can provide hope and happiness which will allow the people to live more emotionally positive lives. Many people don't realize the toll of despair on a human's body, as well as his soul. The building will give far more than was taken to build it.

Answer 3

Why do you have a computer? Don't you know that there are starving children in Africa. Just think about how much money a computer costs in food...yes probably more than what a church costs in Africa. I know a woman who went to Africa and had only about 4 thousand dollars and built three new buildings for an orphanage there.

Answer 4

>>>Think about how much money a church costs in food and how many childrens lives were lost for one church<<<

In the words of former tennis star John McEnroe, "You can't be serious."

Obviously you are unaware that these churches feed, clothe, medicate, and educate more children than anybody else on the planet.

Children's lives are not lost by the presence of churches in Africa -- they are SAVED by them!

Good grief, why do you think the churches set up shop there in the first place???

Sorry, I'm trying to contain myself here -- but the utter ignorance displayed by your comment is absolutely unbelievable.

Why don't you do a little research into what churches actually do over there in Africa, before coming up with such (no offense) silly comments like that?

Answer 5

Christians go to those nations to minister in the name of Jesus, then the church gets built where necessary. If they are called there to specifically build a church, it's because someone in those poor nations has requested the help or finances to do it. They are not big fancy buildings like they are here.

Why not give all the money to the starving and do without buildings? Most of those new Church buildings usually have outreach ministries that work with the surrounding community to distribute food, clothing, and medicine as well as fulfill the spiritual needs of the saved/unsaved. Some even provide temporary shelters.

Sometimes you have to spend money to give help to those who need it.

Answer 6

These churches are actually missions in which starving and sick people are helped. There must be some sort of building and grounds to work out of. I think that you have the wrong information concerning missionary work. the church is the center of such work and receives it support from larger churches in other countries. If it were not for these local churches no good works would be accomplished. All of the local churches that were established in the first century during the apostolic age were missions and provided relief for the poor. Nothing has changed in twenty centuries.

Answer 7

Man cannot live on bread alone.

There are more aspects to life than merely eating.

You will find that different organizations go to Africa for various needs. There are those that go there to provide medical needs, those that provide education needs, those that build shelters, those that provide meals... and those who provide spiritual needs.

Also, the churches they build are not elaborate structures as we have here in the US. They are usually very primitive buildings or tents. The money used to build these churches comes from the US (usually donations). So Africa does not loose money to build them. Plus, paid African workers are often hired to construct the churches.

Politically speaking, Bob Geldof, the man behind Live Aid, has said that Pres. Bush has the most positive approach to Africa of any US president for decades.

Among other recent announcements, Pres. Bush has pledged $15 billion to fight the Aids pandemic, $10 billion to fight corruption and "open up markets."

Ethiopia alone received about $114 million last year in U.S. foreign aid. That doesn't include financial aid from other countries.

I'm certain the cost to build a church is insignificant in comparison to the amount of aid Africa already receives.
Plus, unlike the churches here in the US, which are on every corner and taken for granted; the churches in Africa are highly appreciated. I have a friend who spent 2 years in Africa as a missionary. He told me how the country is devastating with all its poverty & death. The African people and their culture are beautiful though. They welcomed the missionaries with loving arms, and the church is the one place where they can find hope in the midst of suffering. Plus, the church does help provide food for people, especially orphans -- which there are several of!!!

If you want to help there are some fantastic organizations that you can donate to. World Vision is one I absolutely trust and have been involved with for many years.

Here's a snippet from their website:

Who is World Vision?

World Vision is a Christian relief and development organization dedicated to helping children and their communities worldwide reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty. Motivated by our faith in Jesus, we serve the poor — regardless of a person’s religion, race, ethnicity, or gender — as a demonstration of God's unconditional love for all people.

In 2005, 87 percent of World Vision’s total revenue was used to directly benefit the poor. For more information, visit the World Vision website at www.worldvision.org.

If you aren't part of the solution, you are part of the problem.
All the best ~ R

Answer 8

Christians not only aid in building churches in those countries because they need a place to worship God also. Not only are they building churches(the ones I know of) but they are also feeding our brothers and sisters over there, they are aiding in putting in new water systems so they can have clean drinking water, they are erecting hospitals and aiding with supplies, etc. Need I go on. You are correct, there are a lot of people starving in Africa. Instead of brothers and sisters, such as yourself, standing back and criticizing what the church is not doing, let us roll up our sleeves and aid the movement. We can argue all day about what is not being done, but more can get done if we all work together. These people recognize that it is God who has helped them. Should they be denied a place they can go and give him praise? May God Bless

Answer 9

They don't just build the building...the church is actually the people. When they build the church building, they build an outlet for resources that are funnelled out to the people of the poor area. Also, the building is not for us, but for God, who provides for all people. The problem is really that selfish people like to hoard everything, leaving many to die. Put the blame in the right place.

Answer 10

Food can be consumed. Churches are used as schools and meeting places and food distribuion centers besides church services.

So turn your indignation into action and do something like this:
Skip one meal a day at the burger joint save up the money every month and start sending it to an organization like Oxfam or one of those "Christian" organiztions that feed hungry people. Just a suggestion.