wfn.org | PARTNERSHIP FORMED TO REBUILD BURNED CHURCHES, NCCCUSA ANNOUNCES

[CAROL_FOUKE.parti@ecunet.org]

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.
Contact: Carol J. Fouke, NCC, 212-870-2252
Internet: carol_fouke.parti@ecunet.org

NCC9/13/96                    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PARTNERSHIP FORMED TO REBUILD BURNED CHURCHES
INCLUDES
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF
HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, CONGRESS OF NATIONAL
BLACK CHURCHES

 MEMPHIS, Tenn. ---- The task of rebuilding
houses of worship burned for reasons of hate was
given a significant boost Sept. 7 in Memphis when
the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
HUD), National Council of the Churches of Christ in
the U.S.A. (NCC), and Congress of National Black
Churches (CNBC) met to form a partnership to assist
the devastated churches.

 Their joint National Rebuilding Task Force
Initiative is making available a package of
resources for the burned churches, participants
announced.  The package includes grants, in-kind
contributions, professional and volunteer services
from a number of sources along with $10 million in
private sector loan guarantees, administered by HUD,
to help in the rebuilding.  This loan program is
part of the Church Arson Prevention Act, passed and
signed into law this summer.

 Among the 250 participants at the one-day
National Rebuilding Initiative Conference, held at
LeMoyne-Owen College and Metropolitan Baptist
Church, were pastors of burned churches from
Tennessee and adjoining states.  Presenters included
Andrew Cuomo, Assistant Secretary of HUD; Dr. Albert
Pennybacker and Rev. Dr. Mac Charles Jones of the
National Council of Churches; Sullivan Robinson,
Congress of National Black Churches; Memphis Mayor
W.W. Herrenton, and Flo McAfee, White House Office
of Public Liaison.

 After welcoming remarks from Rev. Fred Lofton,
pastor of Metropolitan Baptist Church, and Dr.
George R. Johnson, president of LeMoyne-Owen
College, Mr. Cuomo said that the "burning of a
church affects us all.  And these burnings are all
the more reprehensible when you consider so many
people came to this country seeking religious
freedom.  The burning of a church is attack on a
basic freedom."

 Mr. Cuomo stressed that the arsons are a
symptom of a greater illness in our society.  "It is
the illness of bigotry, hatred or frustration that
prompted the arson, so we have to get at this
illness and remove it," he said to loud applause.

 "Our purpose here today is to see how three
organizations can form a beautiful partnership (and)
put together financial packages to rebuild our
burned churches," he continued.  "And the National
Council of Churches has been at this matter for some
time and their work has been exemplary."

 Rev. Mac Charles Jones, while praising the new
partnership with HUD and the CNBC, admonished the
churches to "do for self."  Everybody must put
something on the table, Rev. Jones declared,
speaking directly to the several black ministers in
the audience.  "If there is to be a real
partnership, we all must contribute," Jones noted.
"In this partnership you must be the driver--you've
got to call the shots.  Black churches have a
tradition of independence in our community -- let's
keep it that way."

 During his brief remarks, Mr. Pennybacker of
the NCC emphasized that the Council was not "in the
business of building churches, but in creating a
reconciled life together."  Foremost among the
objectives at the NCC was to "allow the churches to
move into the future with strength and integrity,"
he explained.  And he hammered away at what he
deemed the root causes of the fires.   "Racism is a
monster and it feeds and satisfies only itself--and
we must call racism into question."

 Sullivan Robinson of the Congress of National
Black Churches noted that she was proud to be in
cooperation with the rebuilding effort.  "We at the
CNBC understand the pain," she began, "and the fires
have brought us together like never before.  We are
resolved not to go into the 21st century with the
same degree of hatred that has fomented these
fires."  Ms. Robinson spent several minutes
explaining how the CNBC has been working diligently
to improve the insurance situation for many of the
burned churches, which either lacked coverage or
were underinsured.

 Law enforcement, prevention and rebuilding are
three vital components in this newly devised
collaborative effort, and Flo McAfee provided
detailed information on each of them, while
underscoring the commitment of the Clinton
administration.  She noted as well the ongoing
success in the prosecution of those arrested for
setting the fires.  "And we are proud to report that
$6 million has been set aside for 13 states to
further investigation of church fires."  She said
more than 200 ATF and FBI agents are currently
nvestigating the fires.

 An example of how the collaborative process may
work occurred when True Light Missionary Baptist
Church received a financial package from HUD and the
NCC earlier this month.  "Our building was burned,"
said Florence Washington, representing Rev. John
Williams, the church’s pastor, "but the church is in
the heart of the congregation, and we are grateful
for this gift."  True Light was allocated a $50,000
construction grant by the NCC-initiated Burned
Churches Fund, which has broad ecumenical and
interfaith support, and a $50,000 rebuilding loan
guaranteed through HUD.

 In the afternoon session, pastors of burned
churches and other participants had an opportunity
to learn about the details of rebuilding the
churches -- financing, construction, the placing of
volunteers -- from Betsey Miller, NCC Construction
Task Force Team; Sara Coppler, Habitat for Humanity;
Tony Johnston and Karen Hinton of HUD; Rev. Terrance
Mackey, Mt. Zion AME Church in Greeleyville, S.C.;
and Jesse Turner, Tri-State Bank of Memphis.

 Congressman Bennie Thompson of the Second
Congressional District of Mississippi, along with a
number of ministers whose churches have been burned,
attended the workshop, including Reverends S.E.
Brown, Alvin Anderson, Patrick Mellerson, David
Upton, Daniel Donaldson, and Morris Mahoney.

 A pilot meeting of the National Rebuilding Task
Force Initiative was held two weeks ago in Columbia,
S.C., with attendees including South Carolina
pastors from burned churches.  The next in the
series of regional conferences is set for Oct. 12 in
New Orleans.

 Following are some other developments in the
NCC's ongoing campaign to rebuild black churches and
to root out the racism which is the underlying cause
of many of the fires:

 * The NCC has taken out an ad 10 black
newspapers to continue the rebuilding of black
churches and the fight against racism.  Over the
last two weeks there have been black churches burned
in Sacramento, Calif.; Arkansas and Mississippi.

 * Among a number of organizations and
institutions sponsoring fund raising drives to
rebuild burned churches is the New York University
School of Social Work.  Calling their initiative
"From the Ashes," teachers and students will host
several activities to raise funds for the Burned
Churches Fund.  "We just want to do our part to help
those who have had their houses of worship
destroyed," said Christine Rollet, campaign
spokesperson.

 * A Church Rebuilding Conference will be held
Sept. 26-29 in Birmingham, Ala., sponsored jointly
by the NCC, Washington Quaker Workcamps and Habitat
for Humanity.  The conference will provide
participants with an overall understanding of the
relationship between the churches and volunteers
committed to assist in the rebuilding of the burned
churches.  A number of other entities that will be
collaborating in this effort will attend, along with
pastors from burned churches.

 * And Oct. 24-26, in Columbia, S.C., the NCC in
collaboration with regional organizations in the
Southeastern U.S. will convene an anti-racism
conference.  The focus of the conference will be
fighting racism in the wake of the church burnings
and development of strategies for justice and
reconciliation.  It will involve speakers and
participants from local, regional and national
groupings.

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