Church Prayed for Pennies, Got Big $3 Million instead

New York Church Prayed for New Building and Reaped Lottery Cash
By JONANN BRADY
A Long Island, N.Y., congregation was praying for pennies from heaven to help expand their church, but instead they were showered with millions. A parishioner who wants to remain anonymous donated his $3 million winning "Ba Da Bling" scratch-off lottery ticket to The True North Community Church in Port Jefferson.

The donation came as a complete surprise to Pastor Bert Crabbe, though he told the congregation the church was facing financial problems because it was growing so fast.

"Our congregation has outgrown its facility," Crabbe told "Good Morning America" today. "We're having four services a week and adding a fifth. We needed another place to meet and I told the congregation, 'Unless God drops a couple of million on us…' I was joking, I wasn't asking for it or praying for it. 'Unless this happens we'll end up renting a facility somewhere.' And then this happened."

Crabbe said he received a call from a parishioner who told the pastor "we need to talk." [ABCNEWS]