Covenant Conferences Partner With Alaskan Churches

Living conditions for pastors and church members in rural Alaska could significantly improve thanks to new partnerships with Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) conferences. The conferences in the lower 48 states are each partnering with at least one church and will offer financial support, prayer and encouragement.

Rodney Sawyer, field director for the ECC of Alaska says that 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. One village still doesn’t have running water. Living conditions for pastors can be harsh; some live in poor, unhealthy conditions.

The process of connecting conferences with churches began when superintendents met at Alaska Christian College in Soldotna for their annual fall meeting. As they heard Alaskan natives discuss their living conditions, they committed to help.

The Midwest Conference is partnering with Mountain Village Covenant Church, located on the north bank of the Yukon River, approximately 470 miles northwest of Anchorage. The church is served by Pastor Carl and Marcia Elwood who have lived in Alaska since 2002.

Plans for a 2011 summer mission trip are being planned. MWC churches will have opportunity to share information about this trip with their congregations during “Alaska Partnership Month” scheduled for February 20 to March 20 when some time during that period, churches may highlight the 2011 plan to send mission teams to Mountain Village, Alaska, to remodel the parsonage. More about this trip will soon be sent to churches and also announced at the annual meeting in April. In July 2009, two teams of six people from Midwest Conference churches, spent a week in Mountain Village constructing a 20×20 garage-type building for the church. This structure is being used for working on snow machines, ATV’s and numerous other purposes.

There is a major need for financial support of this mission and contributions can be sent to the conference office, designated for the Alaska Partnership. Mailing address is: Midwest Conference, 13304 W Center Rd #222, Omaha NE 68144.