The 22,000-strong congregation rallied when their senior pastor, Pastor Joseph Prince, 45, asked them for help in funding the construction of their premises in the Integrated Hub, during a special service held on Feb 15.
Located at Vista Xchange at one-north in Buona Vista, the hub is scheduled for completion by mid-2012.
The nine-storey civic and cultural plaza in the complex, developed by Rock Productions - the commercial-development arm of New Creation Church - will house a 5,000-seat auditorium.
Members of New Creation Church told my paper that there was "no coercion involved", and it was "entirely up to individual members" to give.
"The money was collected through an invitation to anyone who wanted to give," said Mr Dylan Loh, 24, an undergraduate from National University of Singapore.
"In fact, Pastor Prince mentioned that if we didn't feel the need or desire to give, we shouldn't give, and it would have been perfectly fine," he added.
Explaining how the church managed to raise $19 million in one day, civil servant Goh Ying Ying, 26, said: "People...gave out of the abundance of their hearts because they believed they will get something back."
Mr Loh agreed, saying: "It was based purely on the generosity of the congregation and their own willingness to give."
Marketing manager Flora Lim, 23, who was not from the church, said: "Considering we're in the midst of a recession, they are still willing to give so much. (But) it's their church and the people are willing to give their own money, so I don't see any problems with it."
