Area churches join forces to build new home for pastor

The Rev. Johnny Thomas calls himself the "hood preacher."

Others refer to him as South Cape's stabilizing force, a desperately needed servant in an area often forgotten and neglected.

For 21 years he's lived in the same house on Hanover Street in an area faced with the harsh realities of poverty. He's broken up fights and officiated funerals of those who lost their lives to violence. He's counseled, encouraged, prayed. The neighborhood is as much as part of him as he is part of it.

That's why when his house was literally making him sick he couldn't bear to leave.

For a while Thomas didn't know the cause of his respiratory problems. He'd wake up at night, gasping for air, soaked in sweat. He said people across the street could hear him trying to breathe. "It was one of the most scary, terrifying things," the New Bethel Baptist Church leader said. Finally, someone suggested having his house inspected. Extensive black mold was discovered.

At the same time, members of La Croix United Methodist Church were finishing up a service project called 40 Days of Purpose, which culminated in a "service blitz." Nearly 900 people completed tasks such as winterizing homes, visiting veterans or helping emergency medical personnel.

As part of the study, members were challenged to come up with a service project that seemed almost too big or impossible. "We had to do something beyond any individual person's means," said Bill Lyle, a member.

KIT DOYLE ~ kdoyle@semissourian.com Scott McDougal sawed a board as Craig Elder held it Saturday, May 17, 2008, as volunteers continued work on "The House that God Built," a project for a new home for pastor Johnny Thomas on Hanover St. in Cape Girardeau.

Two Bible study groups independently came up with the same mission. They wanted to help Thomas.

Thomas' church and La Croix had teamed up before, for an outreach program called The Bridge. Located on South Frederick Street, The Bridge opened in 2006 to offer drug and alcohol recovery programs, adult education classes and after-school opportunities for children.

The name is meant to be symbolic. "So often, there is a divide between north and south Cape Girardeau. It's a racial divide and an economic divide," said Scott McDougal, a member of La Croix, which is predominately white. New Bethel's congregation is predominately black.

Paired again to rebuild Thomas' house, the churches have spent the last eight months accomplishing more than bridging a divide. They have become a part of a story of unexpected gifts, the rallying of a community and "the power of God."

When the project first began, members did not realize the extent of damage to Thomas' house. Renovations had originally been planned through La Croix's Ministry Makeover, where members update and renovate bedrooms for needy families.

Tennie Rust remembers one renovation for a family where three children slept on a pile of dirty clothes in one room. "We painted the walls Pink Panther Pink, I remember that, and we got the kids beds," she said.

Rust planned on working on Thomas' house next. "He gives all his money and his time to the people of South Cape. I thought we'll just go in and put up a little bit of paint and spend a little time. But then, within two days, his house was condemned. Just fixing it up was not an option," she said. That's when members formulated their mission.

With "one foot already in the door," the church decided to proceed by completely tearing down the house and rebuilding it from the ground up. Members have titled the project "The House that God Built."

Work began in October, completed mostly by weekend volunteers. They had originally planned to dedicate the house May 17, but have pushed the date back about a month.

Lyle has experience as a construction project manager, but "most of us are learning on the job. I certainly am. Do-it-yourself build-a-house isn't quite what we thought we could do," McDougal said. He said that as the completion date approaches, more people have started to work in the evenings as well.

On Saturday, about 10 people joined forces to place stakes for a sidewalk. Bricks hand-removed from the original house will be used to line the sidewalk and driveway. Volunteers also installed shutters and worked on completing a shower.

Finishing touches have progressed quickly. In the past two weeks, electrical work has been completed, siding, tile, and wood flooring have been installed, and some of the walls have received a coat of paint.

Thomas chose the color of the siding, yellow, and he helped pick out the floor plan, but everything else is meant to be a surprise. For that reason, the house is not being described. "This is almost too much. Every once in a while, I have to do this," he said, pinching himself.

He comes by the house almost daily to pray and watch progress. He's also been known to perch himself across the street with binoculars, hoping to catch a glimpse of the house's interior.

Progress on the house has been documented on a blog run by McDougal, thehousegodbuilt.blogspot.com. He posts almost daily, with updates such as "We have power" or "Siding is FINISHED!!"

So far, about $55,000 has been donated for the project, most of which was collected in one weekend. Demolition began before any money had been raised. It was not a matter of being irresponsible, McDougal said, but in having faith resources would be provided. Nearly everything, from the gutters, doors and windows, to service work such as electrical and plumbing, to equipment has been donated.

"It has been a labor of love, and we are just grateful to everyone that has helped," Rust said. Still, she is careful to say that "No one is getting credit but God."

Now that the house is near completion, items still needed include furniture for two bedroom suites, barstools and furniture for a family room.

In the meantime, Thomas has been living in a parsonage next to his church, typically used for people needing transition housing. Thomas wasn't able to salvage much of his furniture during the move because nearly everything had black mold on it, Rust said. The few items he was able to save were severely damaged in March's floods.

Thomas lives with his wife of 46 years, Earlean, and his 15-year-old granddaughter, Asia. Asia will have her own bedroom on the second floor, along with a bathroom connecting to a guest bedroom.

"God just started sending people, people I hadn't ever met. I'm used to serving people, but these were people I had never done anything for," Thomas said. "Years from now, people are going to be coming by here, saying 'Let me show you the house that God built.'"

lbavolek@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123

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