wfn.org | Kirk Franklin, $250,000 for Burned Churches Project

[CAROL_FOUKE.parti@ecunet.org (CAROL FOUKE)]

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA
Contact: NCC News 212-870-2227
Interscope Records 212-328-5910
Email: news@ncccusa.org  Web: www.ncccusa.org

57NCC5/7/99 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

KIRK FRANKLIN PRESENTS $250,000 TO NCC BURNED CHURCHES 
PROJECT

 NEW YORK CITY -- Gospel superstar Kirk Franklin on 
April 30 presented a $250,000 check to the Burned Churches 
Fund of the National Council of Churches (NCC).  The check - 
a gift from Mr. Franklin, Gospo Centric and Interscope 
Records - is drawn on profits from the album The Nu Nation 
Project, released last September.

 Mr. Franklin presented the check to the Rev. Dr. 
Staccato Powell, NCC Deputy General Secretary/Executive 
Director for National Ministries, on the red carpet outside 
Madison Square Garden just before the celebrity arrivals for 
the taping of the 1999 Essence Awards.

That evening, during the awards ceremonies themselves 
(set for national broadcast June 2 over the Fox Television 
network), Mr. Franklin - a multi-platinum recording artist 
and 1999 Essence Award honoree - praised the Council's 
Burned Churches Project.  The NCC called the world's 
attention to the church burnings epidemic, has helped more 
than 150 churches to rebuild and is working to address the 
causes underlying these attacks on houses of worship.

The Nu Nation Project has teamed up with General Mills' 
Honey Nut Cheerios to benefit the NCC's Burned Churches 
Project.  The 60-city 1999 Kirk Franklin Nu Nation tour is 
selling out concert halls and arenas along the way.

Honey Nut Cheerios is offering a $5.99 sampler CD on 
the back of Nu Nation tour cereal packages, now available in 
stores.  One dollar from each CD purchase will be donated to 
the NCC's Burned Churches Project.

"Tragically, churches continue to burn," Dr. Powell 
commented.  "But church burnings are no longer in the 
national spotlight, so raising money to help them is harder.  
We know of at least 20 churches that need help right now, so 
this contribution comes at a most opportune moment."

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