wfn.org | Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Grants $250,000 to NCC's Burned

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Churches Fund 23-October-1996 
 
 
96422             Robert Wood Johnson Foundation 
          Grants $250,000 to NCC's Burned Churches Fund 
 
                        by Carol J. Fouke 
 
NEW YORK--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 (NCC) and supported by a broad ecumenical and interfaith 
community. The grant, announced Oct. 18, 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 been attacked, most of them African American churches. 
 
     "This gift from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation comes at a crucial 
time," said the Rev.  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 experienced 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 organizations. 
 
     As of Oct. 16, the Burned Churches Fund had received more than $4.6 
million in cash from foundations, church bodies, congregations and 
individuals, along with commitments of in-kind resources valued at roughly 
$3.4 million, putting total available resources at more than $8 million. 
 
     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 amount of 
more than $1.4 million in cash contributions is anticipated from 
foundations and churches.  As of Oct. 17, the NCC's Grants Committee had 
allotted more than $2.3 million to 33 congregations. 

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