Higher Calling

Pastor living on roof for a week to raise money for missionaries

By Monica Green
Reprint courtesy of Times-Review, Cleburne, Texas

If you’re trying to find hard ways to raise money for a church or organization, try living on a roof for a week.

Darrell Wickert, the children’s pastor for Bethel Temple Assembly of God in Cleburne, Texas, moved onto the Exxon station at the corner of West Henderson and Ridgeway Streets.

“Different people will be bringing me food all week,” Wickert said. “Applebee’s will bring a meal each day too.”

Wickert is raising money for Boys and Girls Missionary Challenge, a program that benefits missionaries, and his stay is part of Up in the Air for Kids, a program initiated by the General Council of the Assemblies of God.

“It is usually on a billboard,” Wickert said, “but there aren’t really any big billboards in Cleburne. We picked this location because we thought it’d be a good corner to be, and the visibility is good.”

Wickert climbed the ladder to the roof after the church’s Sunday morning service. He will live there for a week, only coming down to use the restroom.

He has several sponsors for the event, and a bucket will be lowered to receive donations. The church’s children, BT Kids, also made a pledge.

“BT Kids have set a goal of $5,000 for BGMC,” senior pastor Mike Mizell said. “This is one of the ways that they’re working to achieve this goal.”

The money will be used for curriculum, supplies and other things, Wickert said.

The bucket will also be lowered to receive food during the week.

The hardest part of staying on the roof for a week is not being at home with his children at night, Wickert said.

His final descent will be at 5 p.m. Friday.

“He’ll probably come home and hit the showers,” Mizell said. “We will have a celebration Sunday for his selflessness and being able to sacrifice comforts to raise awareness for missions.”