wfn.org | ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION GIVES $250,000 TO BURNED CHURCHES

[CAROL_FOUKE.parti@ecunet.org]

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.
Contact:  Betty Thompson, NCC, 212-870-2048
Internet: c/o carol_fouke.parti@ecunet.org

NCC10/18/96                  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION
GRANTS $250,000 TO BURNED CHURCHES FUND

NEW YORK, Oct. 18 ---- A grant of $250,000 has been
made by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to the Burned
Churches Fund, established by the National Council of
Churches and supported by a broad ecumenical and
interfaith community.  The grant is designated for the
restoration of the churches.

The Burned Churches Fund was established in May to
help with the rebuilding of houses of worship that have
been burned or desecrated for reasons of hate.  The NCC
currently is assessing 124 houses of worship that have
suffered attacks, most of them African American churches.

"This gift from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
comes at a crucial time," said the Rev. Dr. Joan Brown
Campbell, NCC General Secretary.

An unprecedented coalition brings together
Protestant, Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches,
foundations, corporations, Jewish groups, Muslims,
Unitarians and others to rebuild the churches.  Most of
the churches are in isolated rural areas and have small
congregations.  They often are underinsured or have no
insurance at all.

Thousands of volunteers have offered to help with
the rebuilding.  The volunteer effort is coordinated by
Habitat for Humanity.  Offers of construction material
and modular units to use as offices until the churches
can be rebuilt have come from corporations.

The Enterprise Foundation has offered $2 million in
pre-construction loans, and the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development is guaranteeing $10 million
in construction loans for houses of worship that have
suffered arson.  The latter is being coordinated through
a National Rebuilding Initiative, which is led by the
NCC, HUD and the Congress of National Black Churches and
includes major financial institutions, not-for-profits
and trade associations.

As of Oct. 16, the Burned Churches Fund had
received $4,696,679 in cash from foundations, church
bodies, congregations and individuals, along with
commitments of in-kind resources valued at $3,400,394,
putting total available resources at $8,097,073.  Of that
amount, just under $7 million has been budgeted for
restoration of burned churches and $1.1 million for
program work to address the racism that underlies many of
the burnings.  An additional $1,412,500 in cash
contributions is anticipated from foundations and
churches.

As of Oct. 17, the Grants Committee had allotted
more than $2.3 million to 33 congregations.

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