A church in Brazil has launched a project to build houses for its poor and homeless members using part of tithes and offerings paid into the church coffers.
The Assemblies of God church at Lagoinha in Araruama, a municipality in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has constructed and delivered dozens of houses to its members, most of them women and jobless.
“We use part of the church’s tithe and offering for the project. It is not fair to be living big when several members of the church are living in abject poverty,” said Fábio Mendonza, the pastor of the church. “The word of God says there will always be the poor amongst you; do not forget them, Deut. 15:11.”
According to him, they also rely on competence from church members who are architects, bricklayers, painters and carpenters, who are involved in the projects as volunteers.