New Gambell Church Building

Labor of Love: the Story of Gambell Presbyterian Church (Captioned).

Gambell Presbyterian Church
PO Box 136
Gambell, AK 99742
Commissioned Pastor: Beulah Nowpakahok
Services: Sundays at 11am

Gambell Presbyterian Church is a crucial spiritual center for the Gambell community. It offers weekly worship services and faith formation opportunities for all ages. The church reaches out to the community in other ways by providing counseling, self-help classes, and other ministries as desired by the community. Often the elders are called upon to go to homes and pray with community members.

Gambell, a community of less than 700 people, is basically a cashless society where people hunt and gather for their survival. They are a mission field for the Presbyterian Church and the Presbytery of Yukon. Your continued support is needed for spiritual needs and growth for a people so close to Russia (39 miles across the sea). The closest bank and hospital is over 200 miles away across water to Nome, Alaska.


Sixty years in arctic Alaska took a toll on a church building. In 1953, the faithful members of Gambell Presbyterian Church erected their new church using the methods available at the time -- some of the village carpenters used walrus jawbones as hammers – which meant no indoor plumbing. Since then, the village moved to a new site on account of rising seas and the need for more stable ground, isolating the church building on the outskirts of town. The old weathered structure had deteriorated to the point that water leaks through the roof and cold air blows in through the walls. The furnace was no longer functional and toyo stoves were used to heat the building, one which has already stopped working. It wasn’t a matter of buying a new toyo stove as the air vent outside cannot be kept clear because of the wind and snow.



The Session of Gambell PC and the Presbytery of Yukon partnered to build a new structure in the center of the town. The new building has been designed using the latest design concepts for cold climate structures, which will saved many thousands of dollars in energy costs every year. Now completed, it was dedicated on May 26, 2019, and serves as a sacred worship space for the congregation, as well as housing for a new pastor and a meeting space for the community. The building includes a food bank and is designed as a multipurpose space with movable walls so many community groups of different sizes can use the space for such things as community funerals, cultural celebrations, AA meetings, youth gatherings, training events and other needs of the community. Plans are underway for the new church to become a GCI wifi center for the community as well.


Building on St. Lawrence Island has been expensive – approximately $550.00 per square foot! The total cost of this project was estimated at $3 million. The presbytery has already contributed over one third of this amount. Through various grants and the generous contributions of our Presbyterian sisters and brothers, we obtained the balance of the cost. Gambell Presbyterian Church still needs help from people in the Presbyterian Church. Since Gambell is mostly as cashless society, the Presbytery of Yukon provides some financial support to Gambell, but they really need much more financial help. The help is needed to provide for fuel oil ($8000) annually, and for electricity ($8,000) annually. Any additional help would provide stipends to folks like Gambell CPs that provide spiritual leadership and Gambell people connected to the Gambell Church, like continued maintenance of the church.


You can help by contributing to the Presbytery of Yukon Endowment, making a Gambell PC Endowment (gifts that keep giving for life), or directly to Yukon Presbytery for Gambell. For establishing a new endowment (Gambell PC), you can talk to Dr. Robin (Rob) Hagan, Ministry Relations Officer at 1-888-211-7030 or rob.hagan@presbyterianfoundation.org.

If you would like to donate to the Gambell New Building fund, please DONATE ONLINE NOW

Please contact us with any questions at 907-276-0914 or office@pbyukon.org. We look forward to a favorable response in supporting this missionary endeavor.

Gambell Alaska - Building for Revival filmed during the project.