wfn.org | Black church burnings examined by National Black Presbyterian Caucus

[PCUSA.NEWS@ecunet.org]

03-July-1996 
 
GA96065 
 
     Black church burnings examined by National Black Presbyterian Caucus 
 
ALBUQUERQUE--The ongoing fire bombings of African American churches 
nationwide dominated the panel discussion during the National Black 
Presbyterian Caucus (NBPC) Dinner July 2. 
 
    Panelists of the TV talk show-style-presentation were Dr. Marsha 
Snulligan-Haney, professor at the Interdenominational Theological Center in 
Atlanta; the Rev. Leon Fanniel, NBPC treasurer and pastor of  St. Paul 
Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles; the Rev. Arlene Gordon, associate for 
resource center development and educational ministry advocates in the 
Congregational Ministries Division; and the Rev. Otis Turner, associate for 
racial justice policy development in the National Ministries Division. 
Moderator of the discussion was Valerie Giles-Reynolds, an NBPC Board 
member of  Detroit. 
 
    Addressing the black church burnings, which federal officials say have 
destroyed more than 40 sanctuaries over the past 18 months, Turner said it 
is important to examine the fires in the larger national context of a 
racially intolerant society. The real issue is not the burning of black 
churches, he said, rather the destruction of the black community by what he 
described as "white supremacist groups." 
 
    "If we focus on the burning of buildings and not the real issue, we can 
easily get lost in the dust," Turner said. "What we are looking at is a 
moral inversion from containment and intimidation [of the African American 
community] during the 1950s and `60s to containment and annihilation during 
the 1990s." 
 
    Although Turner commended the 208th General Assembly (1996) 
commissioners' resolutions that call for specific action to address the 
fires, he said African Americans must take the initiative to combat racial 
hostilities. 
 
    "We as [African American]  people are in denial as to what our reality 
is," Turner said. 
 
    Speaking on the topic of theological education, Snulligan-Haney said 
theological educators can enhance the quality of life in the black 
community by taking an honest look at its problems and by having the 
courage to tackle them. 
 
    "Doing the right thing [for the black community] is better than doing 
nothing at all because at least we are demonstrating who we are and whose 
we are theologically," Snulligan-Haney said. 
 
     Snulligan-Haney predicted that black Presbyterian theologians will 
play an important role in the coming decade, since it is the goal of the 
PC(USA) to have 10 percent racial-ethnic membership by the year 2002 and 20 
percent by the year 2010. 
 
    Echoing those remarks, the Rev. Curtis A. Kearns, Jr., director of the 
National Ministries Division, said there is a growing number of 
racial-ethnic persons in the PC(USA), but as a division "we've got to make 
sure our unit is strong because we have a number of unique concerns." 
 
 
Julian Shipp 

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