wfn.org | PC(USA) Reaffirms Commitment to Racial Reconciliation

[PCUSA.NEWS@pcusa.org]

9-June-1997 
97248 
 
      PC(USA) Reaffirms Commitment to Racial Reconciliation 
          and Announces New Endowment for Racial Justice 
 
 
                         by Julian Shipp 
 
CHARLOTTE, N.C.--During a compelling worship service here on the first 
anniversary of the burning of Matthews-Murkland Presbyterian Church, 
Presbyterian leaders announced the establishment of the Hawkins-Buchanan 
Fund for Racial Justice and led the denomination in affirming its historic 
commitment to racial justice and reconciliation. 
 
     On the night of June 6, 1996, historic Matthews-Murkland Presbyterian 
Church was destroyed by arson -- one of a series of church burnings during 
the past three years at mostly Southern black churches. The blaze, which 
burned the unused sanctuary to the ground, was discovered to have been set 
by a disturbed white teenage girl. 
 
     The teenager has since undergone counseling and served her sentence 
for the crime, according to the Rev. Larry Hill, pastor of 
Matthews-Murkland Presbyterian Church, who said the congregation is still 
praying for her. 
 
     While the fire at Matthews-Murkland may not have been racially 
motivated, church leaders agreed it symbolized the need in this country for 
a continuing emphasis on racial reconciliation. The service also served as 
the opening for the Moderator's Conference on Racial Justice and 
Reconciliation, which featured workshops on building an antiracist, 
multicultural church and society as well as plenary addresses by religious 
scholars and secular experts. 
 
     "We feel that it is very important that we have some ongoing symbol of 
our commitment to racial justice," said the Rev. Curtis A. Kearns Jr., 
director of the National Ministries Division.  "Therefore, we have created 
this visible symbol [the endowment] for all of us to cherish and have named 
it after two pivotal figures in the life of the Presbyterian Church." 
 
     The $1 million endowment is named in honor of the late Rev. Edler 
Garnett Hawkins (1908-1977) and the Rev. John M. Buchanan, both noted 
Presbyterian ecumenists, civic and community leaders. In 1958, Hawkins was 
elected as the first African-American moderator of the Presbytery of New 
York City and in 1964 was elected as the first African-American moderator 
of the General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. 
Hawkins also served as chair of the Commission of Religion and Race, the 
Council of Church and Race of the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A., 
the Presbyterian Economic Development Corporation and the Witherspoon 
Development Corporation. 
 
     Buchanan, in his first official visit as moderator of the 208th 
General Assembly (1996), traveled to Matthews-Murkland Presbyterian Church 
after it was burned last summer and had conversations with clergy and laity 
on antiracism initiatives and racial reconciliation. He also visited Mt. 
Zoar and Little Zion Baptist churches, two burned African-American churches 
in Boligee, Ala., where he reaffirmed the denomination's historic 
commitment to racial justice and its determination to turn tragedy into a 
source of good. Buchanan is pastor of Fourth Presbyterian Church in 
Chicago, which for decades has conducted ministries that benefit residents 
of Cabrini Green, the nation's oldest and largest public housing project. 
 
     Buchanan said having the endowment co-named after him is a "singular 
honor" and one that, he said, reaffirmed the denomination's desire to take 
the lead in paving the way to racial unity and harmony in this country. 
 
     "[Presbyterians] have never been more in love with our church than 
when it stood for racial justice and against racial violence and 
institutional, systemic racism," Buchanan said, referring to the efforts of 
the Rev. Eugene Carson Blake, Hawkins and other Presbyterians who joined 
blacks and other Americans in the protests for civil rights in the 1960s. 
 
     Under the terms of the endowment, which is managed by the Presbyterian 
Church (U.S.A.) Foundation, once the total principal and interest of the 
fund has reached $1 million, 90 percent of the income will be paid to the 
Racial Justice Program Area of the National Ministries Division (NMD) or 
its successor and the remaining 10 percent will be reinvested in 
perpetuity. 
 
     The NMD's Racial Justice Program Area will use the income from the 
fund to support programs of racial justice, reconciliation and healing in 
the church and society. These programs include antiracism training, 
resource development for racial justice ministries, racial justice policy 
development, community organizing ministries, cultural exchanges and racial 
conflict resolution. 
 
                       Spirit-filled worship 
 
     Worshipers at the church came to transform a tragic event into a 
catalyst for good and were aided by a Spirit-filled worship marked with 
powerful preaching and soul-stirring hymns of praise by the 
Matthews-Murkland Presbyterian Church choir. 
 
     Worship leaders included the Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick, PC(USA) stated 
clerk; the Rev. Carroll Jenkins, synod executive for the Synod of 
Mid-Atlantic; the Rev. Frank Diaz, interim executive director of the 
General Assembly Council; Youngil Cho of Raleigh, N.C., GAC chair; and 
Martha Tillman, an elder of Matthews-Murkland Presbyterian Church. 
 
     During his homily, Hill described the church burning as  "a 
life-changing experience for both him and his congregation." The burning of 
Matthews-Murkland received national and international attention, including 
that of President Bill Clinton, who tentatively planned to visit the 
church, but went to help rebuild a burned black church in South Carolina 
instead.  
 
     The burning of the church also galvanized thousands of Presbyterians 
nationally to respond to the spate of fires with gifts totaling more than 
$800,000 to date, according to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance officials. 
 
     "I stand before you humbled by this experience, uplifted by the 
support that has come our way and abundantly thankful for all the things 
that so many of you have done to help us get through this time in our 
lives," Hill said. "May God bless you. May heaven always smile upon you. 
May together we begin to usher in that day when fires will only be used to 
roast marshmallows." 
 
     During his homily, Buchanan said he was overcome with feelings of 
sadness and futility when he first saw the charred remains of 
Matthews-Murkland one year ago. But, he said, he was inspired by the 
congregation's determination to "break down the dividing walls of racial 
hostility through the love of Jesus Christ." The experience of being there 
among the ashes was so powerful, Buchanan said, that he committed himself 
to working with Matthews-Murkland and the larger church become a vital part 
of the rebuilding and reconciliation efforts nationally. 
 
     Following Holy Communion and an offering (of which half of the money 
went toward the Hawkins-Buchanan Fund for Racial Justice and the other half 
to Matthews-Murkland Presbyterian Church), the entire congregation went 
outside for the Service of Recommitment featuring the Litany for 
Presbyterians Reaffirming the Church's Commitment to Racial Justice and 
Reconciliation read nationwide by Presbyterians on June 8. 
 
     Despite a light rain shower, participants lit candles. With candles 
burning, they gathered around a cross with charred wood from the old 
Matthews-Murkland church at its base and sang "Amazing Grace."  Afterward, 
Pastor Hill instructed participants to blow out their neighbor's candle as 
they pledged to douse the flames of hate with the love of Jesus Christ. 
 
     "God has used this tragedy and Pastor Hill... for a voice for peace 
and justice that I have not [heard] in my lifetime," said the Rev. H. Alan 
Elmore, general presbyter and stated clerk of Charlotte Presbytery. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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