Building Fundraiser
In 2001, a Native American elder on the Omaha Reservation named Pat Phillips began to pray and seek God on behalf of her people. Her prayer was simple: that God would bring her people freedom, salvation, and eternal life through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Around that time, Paul Malcomson, a former police officer in Northern Ireland, attended a pastors’ conference in the United States where Pat Phillips shared her heart and concerns about the needs of her Tribe. One of Pat’s statements stood out from her testimony: “Nobody will serve my people.” From that moment others joined in Pat’s prayer that God would bring someone to faithfully preach the Word of God and lead revival on the Omaha Reservation.
God answered these prayers by way of Paul and his wife, Jen. Recently married, and with their newborn, Paul and Jen left the comforts of their home, their church body, and family in Northern Ireland to obey God’s call to Nebraska to serve the Omaha Nation. They took nothing with them but the Word of God, the Spirit of God, and a vision to see Christ lifted high on the Reservation.
In November 2007, after much prayer and difficulty, Light of The World Gospel Ministries was established and had its first church service with a small gathering of twelve people in Walthill, Nebraska.
They started church on the last Sunday of November 2007. While they started with only a handful of people in the town’s Fire Hall, the church began to quickly grow. Many local people of different ethnicities were attracted to it, including a lot of young people who were going nowhere to church. The church soon outgrew the Fire Hall. A local businessman then donated the local funeral home to them a few years ago. Today they have well over 100 people attending each week, including a thriving children’s, tweenies, and youth work. The biggest problem they have is, they have outgrown their current building on Main Street in Walthill.
Light of the World has become a vibrant, multi-ethnic congregation of more than 100 people in a town of less than 800. It is constantly growing. Notwithstanding, it lacks space to minister effectively minister to the needs of the people.
This chart was one of our fundraisers recently completed. Each individual square shown represents $10. In total, it is equal to $144,000 – which is a HUGE achievement for our congregation size. We are so thankful for everyone who gave!
God has given us a vision to construct a new facility for ministry and worship on vacant, run-down properties we purchased on Main Street right across the street from our current small building. Our vision for the new building is two-fold: the salvation of those in our community, and the revitalization of our community. To help counter the village’s considerable economic challenges the building will include commercial projects like a bookstore and a coffee shop.
Conceptual estimates and designs have been developed so that we are prepared to move forward once we receive the needed permits from the Village. We trust that God will answer our prayers and we will obtain permission to build. Current construction costs will require $2.5 – 3.0 million dollars or more, not an insignificant amount for a small rural church. Nonetheless, with prayer and the Lord’s leading we are well on our way. We continue to look for others to partner with us to reach the Omaha Nation and surrounding communities. We pray that God will provide the necessary sum for our building and, more importantly, will raise disciples for Christ and His kingdom by winning the Omaha reservation and the nations for Christ.
Please join us in prayer that we will reach our goal for a new building. Please also consider donating or otherwise partnering with us to see our community transformed and a vibrant church building established for the glory of Christ. Thank you!
On April 2, 2023 we started our $1 Brick fundraiser.
On November 20, 2022 we finally held our Ground Breaking Ceremony calling it our “Ground Blessing Ceremony”.
On June 24, 2022 First Liberty made a custom video for us to publish to help show others what has been going on.
We thank all the staff at First Liberty for this amazing video!
For more info on our WIN at the U.S. Supreme Court with First Liberty, view their article: “Light of the World Gospel Ministries Case.”
On December 27, 2020 we posted our first promotional video to show our vision for this small town. Many hours of work went into this short video. We are grateful for Josiah Klunder for filming and editing the video, and Elijah Fernandez for assisting in the process.
On February 20, 2020 KCAU-TV Sioux City reported on our U.S. Supreme Courtcase, titleing the new report as, “U.S. Justice Department Sues Walthill, Nebraska.”
On December 20, 2019 First Liberty posted their third video giving an update on us saying our “Small-Town Nebraska Church Stands Strong Amidst Fierce Religious Hostility.”
It was such a blessing to have all the staff at First Liberty with their professional expertise working so hard to help preserve our vision for ministry.
On May 21, 2019 First Liberty posted their second video reporting on the bricks that were thrown at our congregation’s vehicles.
We appreciate all the staff at First Liberty, and their care for us during that time. We also appreciate them for all the effort they put into this video.
On April 25, 2019 KCAU-TV Sioux City reported that the “Vandals Of a Walthill Church Have Been Arrested.”
We thank KCAU-TV Sioux City for reporting the update on the event.
On April 23, 2019 KCAU-TV Sioux City reported on the “Walthill church says they’re being vandalized.”
We thank KCAU-TV Sioux City for reporting on the event.
On July 6, 2018 KCAU-TV Sioux City reported that “Light of the World Church sues Walthill, NE,” and “Battle of property rights tunes into allegations of religious discrimination.”
Read more in their article, “Local church files lawsuit against Nebraska village.”
We thank KCAU-TV Sioux City for keeping us in the news.
On July 3, 2018 First Liberty posted their first video showing our congregation and our vision for Walthill. We are so grateful to all the staff at First Liberty for filming, editing, publishing and promoting this video.