Burke board set hearing on Marshallese church set for Monday morning
Burke Board of Commissioners chair Jeff Brittain speaks to Marshallese New Beginnings Church pastor Tommy Liabwij and an interpreter during a hearing April 10.
Nine families living in the Marshallese New Beginnings Church in George Hildebrand will find out Monday morning if they can stay there.
The Burke Board of Commissioners will hold a special called meeting at 9 a.m. in the commission boardroom to decide whether the group — about 60 people from the Marshall Islands — will have to comply with a previous order to vacate the premises.
No public comments will be heard at the meeting.
The church is in a building that once housed George Hildebrand Elementary School before the new school was built.
Over the last three years, county inspectors, including chief inspector Steve Holden, have found a plethora of safety code violations that make two buildings at the site, the church and an annex, unsafe for habitation.
The county informed the church of the violations and the seriousness of the situation numerous times, but the group did not make substantial progress toward a solution.
Following a condemnation hearing on March 21, the county ordered the occupants to vacate the property by May 20.
The group, led by pastor Tommy Liabwij, appealed the decision and another hearing took place April 10.
At that quasi-judicial proceeding, the board voted unanimously to leave the order in place but give the church members a 30-day continuance until May 12 to meet a list of requirements that would enable them to stay.
The conditions included obtaining an estimate from a certified contractor for necessary repairs; providing proof of a funding source for those repairs; and furnishing proof the group is trying to obtain additional funding from government, nonprofits, or private entities.
On May 12 at 4:17 p.m., the county received documentation from contractor Curt Abee that included, among other things, a project overview, contractor certification, architectural drawings, and verification of funds on deposit.
Abee estimated the cost of bringing the buildings up to code at $150,000. Previous estimates by the county put the repairs at $500,000, but a letter Abee sent Burke County said he hopes to do the work as cheaply as possible while still meeting codes for plumbing, electrical, and heating systems.
A commercial electrical permit issued by Burke County Building Inspections and dated May 12 was attached to the letter.
The contractor said he is personally funding the project.
“This has weighed heavy on my mind,” the letter read. “I have prayed and prayed over this situation and how to do the right thing.”
Abee went on to cite Proverbs 3:27, which says, “Withhold not good from them to whom it is due when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.”
In addition to funding and construction, Abee plans to acquire temporary housing that can be placed on the site to accommodate two families at a time while repairs are being made to their living quarters.
Abee’s letter said he has heard from numerous donors who want to supply building materials and labor and expects support to grow as the project progresses, and the public becomes more aware of the situation.
Josh and Kimberly Robinson, who live near the church, started a GoFundMe account last month to raise money for the Marshallese group. As of Thursday afternoon, the effort had raised only $4,366 of its $100,000 goal.
The Marshallese New Beginnings Church is a Christian church whose congregation is made up of people from the Marshall Islands. The country and the U.S. have had a compact of free association since 1986. That means islanders can migrate freely to this country.
Following World War II, the United States conducted extensive nuclear weapons testing in the Marshall Islands, and the effects of those tests on the island population are still felt today in the form of cancer, leukemia, and birth defects.
NOTE: You can donate to the GoFundMe effort by going to gofundme.com and searching for “Together for our Marshallese Neighbors.”
Marty Queen is the senior reporter. He may be reached at 828-445-8595 or marty@thepaper.media.
