wfn.org | Jury charges Indiana man with 29 church arsons

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

July 28, 1999 News media contact: Linda Bloom*(212) 870-3803*New York
10-71B{395}

By United Methodist News Service

Seven United Methodist churches are among the 29 church buildings an Indiana
man has now been charged with setting on fire.

According to the Associated Press, Jay Scott Ballinger, 36, was indicted
July 27 by a federal grand jury in Indianapolis. He was charged with setting
17 church fires in Indiana, California, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, South
Carolina and Tennessee over a five-year period.

Ballinger, who was arrested in February, already had been charged in 12
other church arsons in Indiana and Georgia. He remains in federal custody.

One of the fires - at New Salem United Methodist Church in Commerce, Ga., on
Dec. 31, 1998 - resulted in the death of a volunteer firefighter.

Besides New Salem, other United Methodist Churches that Ballinger is charged
with burning include:

	*	Summach United Methodist Church in Wardell, Mo., on July 28,
1997.
	*	Milledgeville (Ind.) United Methodist Church on Nov. 13,
1997.
	*	Johnson United Methodist Church in Commerce, Ga., Jan. 1,
1999.
	*	Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church in Elkton, Ky., Jan.
18, 1999.
	*	Stidham United Methodist Church in Lafayette, Ind., on Jan.
25, 1999
	*	Community United Methodist Church in Brookville, Ohio, Feb.
6, 1999.

Indiana police have said Ballinger had a longtime interest in Satanism.

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