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November 4, 2011 Vietnamese UMC makes history with groundbreaking


Smith. Now in its 11th year, the church has weekly attendance of about 30 people. In addition to worship, the church holds a monthly Bible study and has a mission outreach to several churches in Vietnam, including one through which 200 souls were saved last year. T e groundbreaking ceremony,


just like the church’s Sunday morning worship, was multi-lingual. T e Rev. Terry Gallamore, pastor of Vietnamese UMC, leads the congregation in worship by way of two translators, church members Do Van Le and Linh Hua. T e ceremony included


The Rev. Terry Gallamore and translator Linh Hua look on as church members of all ages turn shovels of dirt at the groundbreaking ceremony for the first building belonging to Vietnamese United Methodist Church Fort Smith. The church is the first chartered Vietnamese congregation in the South Central Jurisdiction of the UMC.


PHOTO BY TODD VICK Sunday, Oct. 9 marked a historic


occasion for the South Central Jurisdiction as well as the Arkansas Conference. T at aſt ernoon, about 55 people gathered to break ground on a notable United Methodist Church’s building—the fi rst Vietnamese UMC in the jurisdiction. Vietnamese UMC Fort Smith


celebrated as they broke ground on their 4,000 square-foot building at the corner of Alabama and Albert Pike in Fort Smith. T e Rev. Phil Hathcock,


director of connectional ministries and assistant to the bishop, brought greetings on behalf of Bishop Charles Crutchfi eld. “You are in the thoughts and


prayers of United Methodists in Arkansas today,” he told the congregation. Vietnamese UMC is the fi rst


predominantly Vietnamese congregation in the jurisdiction, which includes United Methodists across eight states. While there are many Vietnamese mission churches in the jurisdiction, this is the fi rst church to receive an offi cial charter from the denomination. “It’s a big day and a big step,”


said church member Linh Hua. T e church began when a group


leſt the local Vietnamese Baptist church and began worshipping in the choir room at St. Paul UMC Fort


Arkansas United Methodist


Scripture readings, a message by the Rev. Mackey Yokem, superintendent of the West District, prayers, and the traditional row of people with shovels turning dirt. However, a unique feature of this ceremony was the singing: Hymns sung simultaneously in English and Vietnamese provided a Pentecost experience as people praised God in multiple languages and interpreted for each other. “T is is one of the greatest days


BY TODD VICK Special Contributor


of my life,” said Gallamore. T e church received in 2010 a


$50,000 Catch the Vision grant for the purchase of land. T e congregation raised other funds through the sale of egg rolls as well as profi ts shared from special fi rst Saturday sales at Taipei, a local restaurant owned by one of the members. T e West and Northwest


Districts provided additional funding, and the West District held a special Pentecost off ering. Vietnamese UMC now has


$120,000, just short of their $150,000 goal. T eir fi nancial goal will provide enough money to get the building “in the dry”—that is, the exterior construction completed. Aſt er the building is in the dry, the congregation will fi nish the interior with labor provided by church members and other groups. T e Rev. Bob Crossman,


Conference minister of new church starts and congregational development, pointed out that the location chosen by Vietnamese UMC provides good positioning for the church to attain Imagine Ministry’s goal of reaching the mission fi eld. Two-thirds of the 3,000 Vietnamese residents of Fort Smith live within a fi ve-mile radius of the church’s property.


T e Rev. Vick serves as associate pastor for youth ministries at St. Paul UMC Fort Smith.


www.arumc.org


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