wfn.org | Lilly Foundation gives $6 million toward church rebuilding effort

[DISCNEWS.parti@ecunet.org]

February 5, 1997
Disciples News Service
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Contact: Clifford L. Willis
Email: CWillis@oc.disciples.org
on the web: http//www.disciples.org

97b-4

     NEW YORK (NCC) -- An ecumenical body of historic African American
churches
Jan. 28 received $6 million toward the effort to rebuild burned black
churches.

     The Indianapolis-based Lilly Foundation gave the money to the Congress of
National
Black Churches for its new program to rebuild churches and prevent further
arsons. CNBC is
a partner institution with the National Council of Churches in a broad-based
national
rebuilding initiative. 

     "This is good news for the congregations whose churches have been
burned," said
NCC General Secretary Joan Brown Campbell. "We are grateful that additional
funds for
rebuilding have been made available."

     The National Council soon will complete "phase one" of its Burned
Churches Project,
launched last spring. The NCC played a key role in calling the attacks on
houses of worship to
public attention and initiating an interfaith response. The response included
rebuilding
churches and addressing the racism that underlies many of the burnings. 

     The blue-ribbon grants committee of the Burned Churches Fund,
administered by the
NCC, to date has allocated $4.6 million in cash and another half-million
dollars of in-kind
contributions for the rebuilding of 79 houses of worship, most of the African
American
churches. 

     In 1996 the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) gave $108,653 through
its
Reconciliation ministry to the effort, according to the Rev. L. Wayne Stewart,
director.

     In February, the NCC expects to complete detailed assessments of the
needs of 124
burned churches and to recommend the final phase one grants. The NCC also will
announce
its "Christmas in April" mobilization of volunteers who will assist with
rebuilding.

     The Disciples' Volunteers in Mission program tentatively has been
commissioned to
rebuild St. Mark's Missionary Baptist Church in Tyronza, Ark. Information
concerning
specific work dates and other details will be available at a later date.

     "Nearly all of the roughly $7 million in cash raised since last May for
the Burned
Churches Fund, along with the additional in-kind assistance available to us,
will have been
allocated," said Campbell. "But we know of at least 30 other burned churches
where hatred is
suspected as the motive. Thanks to the Lilly grant, these churches now have
somewhere to turn
for help."

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DISCNEWS - inbox for Disciples News Service, Office of Communication,
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), PO Box 1986 Indianapolis, IN 46206,
tele. (317) 635-3100, (DISCNEWS.part@ecunet.org) Wilma Shuffitt, News and
Information Assistant; (CLIFF WILLIS.part@ecunet.org) Cliff Willis, Director
of News and Information; (CURT MILLER.part@ecunet.org) Executive Director