wfn.org | Partnership Formed to Rebuild Burned Churches

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17-September-1996 
 
 
96367     Partnership Formed to Rebuild Burned Churches 
 
                        by Carol J. Fouke 
 
MEMPHIS, Tenn.--The task of rebuilding houses of worship burned for reasons 
of hate was given a significant boost here Sept. 7 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 the 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 the Rev. Fred Lofton, pastor of 
Metropolitan Baptist Church, and Dr. George R. Johnson, president of 
LeMoyne-Owen College, 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 an attack on a basic freedom." 
 
     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," Cuomo continued. "And the National Council of Churches 
has been at this matter for some time and their work has been exemplary." 
 
     The 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, Jones declared, speaking directly to the 
several black ministers in the audience.  
 
     "If there is to be a real partnership, we must all 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 remarks, 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 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 
[as] never before. We are resolved not to go into the 21st century with the 
same degree of hatred that has fomented these fires." 
 
     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 for further investigation of church fires." McAfee said more than 
200 ATF and FBI agents are currently investigating 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 the 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. 
 
     During 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; the Rev. Terrance Mackey, 
Mt. Zion AME Church in Greeleyville, S.C.; and Jesse Turner, Tri-State Bank 
of Memphis. 
 
     Congressman Bernie Thompson of the Second Congressional District of 
Mississippi along with a number of minsters whose churches have been 
burned, attended the workshop, including the Rev. S.E.  Brown, the Rev. 
Alvin Anderson, the Rev. Patrick Mellerson, the Rev. David Upton, the Rev. 
Daniel Donaldson, and the Rev. Morris Mahoney. 
 
     A pilot meeting of the National Rebuilding Task Force Initiative was 
held two weeks ago in Colombia, 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 burned churches and to root out the racism that is the underlying 
cause of many of the fires. 
 
    *      The NCC has taken out an ad in 10 black newspapers to continue 
           the rebuilding of black churches and the fight against racism. 
           Over the two and a half weeks preceding Sept. 7, 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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