They Gave From Their Hearts

They Gave From Their Hearts

Tue, Mar 10, 2009
My Paper

By Joy Fang

THEY came, they listened and they contributed.

The 22,000-strong congregation rallied when their senior pastor, Pastor
Joseph Prince, 45, asked them for help in funding the construction of
their premises in the Integrated Hub, during a special service held on
Feb 15.

Located at Vista Xchange at one-north in Buona Vista, the hub is
scheduled for completion by mid-2012.

The nine-storey civic and cultural plaza in the complex, developed by
Rock Productions - the commercial-development arm of New Creation Church
- will house a 5,000-seat auditorium.

Members of New Creation Church told my paper that there was "no coercion
involved", and it was "entirely up to individual members" to give.

"The money was collected through an invitation to anyone who wanted to
give," said Mr Dylan Loh, 24, an undergraduate from National University
of Singapore.

"In fact, Pastor Prince mentioned that if we didn't feel the need or
desire to give, we shouldn't give, and it would have been perfectly
fine," he added.

Explaining how the church managed to raise $19 million in one day, civil
servant Goh Ying Ying, 26, said: "People...gave out of the abundance of
their hearts because they believed they will get something back."

Mr Loh agreed, saying: "It was based purely on the generosity of the
congregation and their own willingness to give."

Marketing manager Flora Lim, 23, who was not from the church, said:
"Considering we're in the midst of a recession, they are still willing
to give so much. (But) it's their church and the people are willing to
give their own money, so I don't see any problems with it."