Different languages. Different cultures. Different congregations. But differences aren’t keeping one church in the Central District from helping another in need.
At first glance, these two churches—New Jerusalem Temple and Iglesia Manantial de Agua Viva—may seem to have more differences than similarities.
New Jerusalem Temple is a Congolese congregation of more than 100 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, while Manantial de Agua Viva is a Spanish-speaking church in Omaha, Nebraska, with fewer than 20 attendees on a regular basis. However, the common mission of sharing the gospel and reaching people in their communities overcome these cultural and practical differences.
In August 2025, New Jerusalem Temple purchased its own church building for the first time since being founded by Claude Tambatamba in 2015. Despite its small size, Manantial de Agua Viva raised over $400 to contribute to furnishing the new space.
Finding a place to meet has always been a challenge for the Congolese church, which began in Tambatamba’s apartment. In the intervening years, congregants have met in several different locations, including renting from fellow CDC churches Christ Community Church (Harrisburg, South Dakota) and, most recently, International Ethiopian Christian Fellowship (Sioux Falls, South Dakota).
“Their dream has always been owning a building, and an opportunity came up,” says Daniel Rodriguez, Central District minister. “It seemed that was going to be a very good location for them.”
The congregation raised $50,000 toward a down payment and secured a loan for the remainder through MB Foundation, with the district promising to guarantee the loan.
Rodriguez says the district recognized New Jerusalem Temple had needs beyond the building. Since the congregation had previously used what was available in rented spaces, it needed to obtain furnishings and equipment such as audio visual equipment, chairs and a pulpit.
The district gave a $5,000 grant to help meet these needs and challenged other churches in the conference to donate to match those funds. In total, the district and churches raised nearly $10,000.
Service, regardless of size
Yanira Lopez and her husband, Jose Guerra, have been the pastoral couple at Iglesia Manantial de Agua Viva since it was planted in 2010. The church saw its growth greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but Lopez says they are continuing to focus on community outreach and looking for ways they can help meet others’ needs.
“Our focus right now is trying to see what we can do to help people and bring them to Christ because it’s more important than any job or anything material that they can get,” says Lopez. “We are just a very small group trying to do mission and reach the needy.”
When she saw an email from the Central District about the need to help New Jerusalem Temple raise funds for the new building, she presented the idea to the congregation. Members immediately agreed to help.
Manantial de Agua Viva makes and sells food as a primary way to reach out in the community and raise funds for various needs.
Pupusas, a local dish in Lopez’s native El Salvador, are a type of tortilla filled with cheese, beans and vegetables. Lopez does much of the prep work for the pupusas ahead of time in her home. On the day of the sale, the pupusas are cooked on a griddle outside the church building.
“We make them right there when people come so they’re fresh,” says Lopez. “Some people will stay and eat, and that’s when we have time to talk with them about anything that they need or any prayer they might need.”
She adds that members of another Central District church, Faith Bible Church, with whom they share a building, attended the sale benefiting New Jerusalem Temple to purchase pupusas and support Manantial de Agua Viva.
District unity
Rodriguez highlights the importance of Manantial de Agua Viva’s willingness to serve regardless of its size.
“It’s just amazing how they jump at opportunities,” says Rodriguez. “They have a really neat prayer ministry. Every time I’ve been to their church to visit, I see petitions that they saw from other churches’ bulletins, and they’re aware of those needs so they put it on their prayer list.”
He adds that it is vital for the district to include churches of different cultural backgrounds in order to reach more people.
“We have two churches with the same goal, the same mission, and so each church can accomplish the mission of sharing the gospel with their own ethnicity and language,” he says.
Lopez also emphasizes the importance of churches not letting those cultural differences become a barrier to working or fellowshipping together.
“We need each other,” says Lopez. “And we know other different congregations, we all struggle, we all have difficulties. It doesn’t matter what race, color, language, anything; we see each other as Christians, so we need to help each other.”
Jessica Vix Allen is a freelance writer living in Blue Springs, Missouri. She and her husband, Joel, are both graduates of Tabor College. The couple has three children.
