Rhema raises quick $500,000

Press, 29 June 1985, Page 9

Rhema raises quick $500,000

The Pentacostal Christians who run Radio Rhema have raised $500,000 in the last four weeks to enable the station to pay a deposit on a $2.5 million building in Christchurch, to be its new headquarters. Mr Harold Short, Rhema's regional manager in Auckland, yesterday handed over the half-million dollar cheque to Mr Bob Stevens, financial director of Repco. New Zealand, Ltd. as down payment on the former head office of Andrews and Beaven in Birmingham Drive, Addington. Rhema now has until July 26 to raise the $2 million to settle the deal. The station’s public relations manager, Mr Doug Pflaum, said yesterday that the money for the deposit had been raised entirely by

gifts from the faithfully and he was quite confident that they could raise the $2 million by July 26. “It is the most money we have raised in our history in such a short time.” Rhema hopes to buy the building outright, but if it fails it will apply for a loan either from Repco or from sources in Switzerland. It will use the large Andrews and Beavens building to house its offices at present scattered round Christchurch and eventually will move its studio there. It hopes to raise $650,000 from the sale of its present buildings to pay for the conversion of the new building to its purposes. The station’s transmitter will stay at its present site in Mairehau.