Church Construction for Vulnerable Families in Andhra Pradesh

We live in a society that has become more multi-cultural and multi-religious, and the church plays a vital role in community cohesion.

In Cuddapah District in the state of Andhra Pradesh, there is a small village called Ramachandrapuram. It is a dry area surrounded by hills, and the people living here suffer from poverty, low income, and sickness.

These people are at the lowest rung of the caste system in Indian society. They are regarded as untouchables and are forced to live in the outskirts of villages. They live in most inhumane conditions without access to drinking water, good roads, and sanitary facilities.

Shalom Ministries Society, a nonprofit religious organization registered under the Societies Registration Act of 2001, has been working with Dalit and Adivasi communities in different villages across Cuddapah District.

Our goal is to help the people in this area learn the word of God and feel that they belong in an inclusive religious community. For the past years, we have just been conducting prayer meetings under a tree. 

Currently, we preach the word of God in the streets every morning—with only a few believers attending. We understand and consider the fact that people cannot attend the prayer session because they need to work.

In as much as we want to preach all day, we can only stay in the streets for one to two hours. The absence of a church has deprived us to reach many souls.

We created this campaign because we need to construct a new church. If we have a church, we can guide the people spiritually and be within their reach if they need to talk to a priest. To have a church in their village is a pride and a blessing.

This project will give us freedom to reach the people who have not yet joined our Church. This can help us run our spiritual programs more vigorously. The church can be a place where parents and children can sit and read at night, and it can also serve as a shelter for families in case a disaster happens.

We had a meeting with the village elders, and they expressed their sentiment of not being able to contribute financially, but they are more than willing to contribute manual labor during the construction.

We humbly request you to help us raise funds so we can build our church. Below is the cost estimate, for your reference.

The church pastors and executive members will take the whole responsibility of the construction of this church. At regular intervals, we will be giving detailed information of the auditing and expenditure reports. The project will be implemented under the supervision of pastors and local engineers.

If you donate to this campaign, you will be able to help these vulnerable people as they will have a church that will be open to them 24/7. We plead to you to please help us build a center of prayer and worship.

For more information about this campaign, you may contact Bijjam Narasaiah at +917287022433.