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4B February 6, 199/ AUGUSIArv . o Lowery stepping down as head of SCLC ATLANTA (AP) After 20 years as head of the Southern Christian Leader ship Conference, the Rev. Joseph Lowery is retiring from the civil rights organization he helped start w}th the Rev. Martin Luther King Ji The 74-year-old Lowery, whose retirement has been expected to come this year, said Thursday that hd will leave the post of SCLC president inJuly but said he would remain involved in civil rights. “I'm not leaving the scene, I'm only leaving the day-to-day activi Norwood lends hand in rebuilding burned African-American churchinMillen : MILLEN, Ga. (AP) Spiritual and racial unity are risi%from theashes ofablack church that may have been torched out of racist hatred, according to volunteers who are rebuilding the sanctuary. The volunteers, from as faraway as' California, were raising the framework Monday in east Geor gia where the tiny Gays Hill Bap tist Church was c{estroyed almost a year ago. They included Republican U.S. Reps. Jack Kingston and Charlie Norwood of Georgia and about a dozen members of their Washing ton and local staffs. : “I think a lot of people would like to come together along racial linés, but they don’t know where tostart,” said volunteer Doug Tan ner of Washington, D.C.’s, Faith and Politics Institute, who de scribed the work as a chance to make a difference on a local level after five years on Capitol Hill. “In a place like this, you really have the mandate to get down and start understanding each other on Bethel African Methodist T Episcopal Church .T. 623 Crawford Avenue Augusta, Georgia 30904 Rev. Larry W. Hudson, Sr. Pastor Office: (706) 736-4060 Sunday Wednesdéy | 9:30 SundaLSchool 7:00 Bible Study 11:00 Worship Service nn m . _ : - AUGUSTA’S GOSPEL ALIVE Serving the CSRA with _ Soul Stirring Gospel Power AW Day, Every Day ! ties. There is no way I will retire from the movement,” said Lowery, who helped organize the SCLC in 1957 with Kingand the Rev. Ralph David Abernathy. The organization celebrates its 40th anniversary Feb. 14. Lowery, a Huntsville, Ala., na tive who has worked with the SCLC sinceitsinception, served as a vice president and chairman of the board before being named presi dent in 1977. Lowery said wants to spend more time with his family and intends on writing several books and giv a deeper level,” Tanner said. Gays Hillis a 45-member church first built in 1920. It burned early on March 27 after someone started a fire with gasoline, investigators say. No arrests have been made. Gays Hill is one of 328 churches nationwide damaged by arson or bombings over the past two years, according toarecent U.S. Depart ment of Justice report. Of the sanc tuaries attacked, 243 were black churches. Many of the workers who showed up Monday heard about the project through the National Council of Churches. “We're just seeing some really good healing come from this,” said Hilda Dutrow, volunteer coordi nator for the Gays Hill project. “It’s Christian love in action that we’re seeing here.” Construction is expected to be completed in July. Until then, the congregation hasbeen holding ser vicesin Portal about 20 milessouth of Millen at Newton Grove Baptist Church, where they worshiped with and recognized volunteers Spil’ it Church News ing lectures. A search committee is expected to begin a national hunt for a re placement. “We need to find someone with the same foresight, leadership and analytical skills as Joseph Lowery,” said Raleigh Trammell, vice chairman of the SCLC board. “He has done more for keeping the legacy of King alive than anyone else we could have called on.” Trammell said the SCLC plans toswear in a new president in July at the group’s national conven tion in Atlanta. Monday night. Last week, 18 members of a Chi cago council of churches joined local contractors to help pour the new sanctuary’s foundation and begin construction. Groups from as nearby as Statesboro’s Georgia Southern University and from as far away as California are scheduled to help on the project in coming weeks, Ms. Dutrow said. The new church is being funded by a SIIO,OOO grant from the Na tional Council of Churches and local donations. The church was partially insured. Next week: Check out your church’s place in Augusta Black History We Invite You To BEULAH GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH Dr. Sam Davis, pastor 1434 POPLAR STREET AUGUSTA, GEORGIA 30901 TELEPHONE: (706) 724-1086 Sunday Services at 7:45 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 7:30 p.m. Baptist Training Union (BTU) at 6:00 p.m. Sunday Sunday School at 9:30 Sunday morning Bible Study 7:00 p.m. Wednesdag.aand 9:30 a.m. Saturday Prayer Service at 11:00 Saturday morning Thirty-five Christian Ministries All Services Are Bible-based and Holy Spirit-led State Rep. Tyrone Brooks of At lanta, a former SCLC staffer with strongties to the group, isthe only person to publicly expressinterest in the jeb. Lowery said he will work closely with the committee to find a suc cessor. “It has been a tough thing. I have tried to fight the good fight,” he said. “My job was to raise the moral issue in regards to social and economic (issues) affecting black folks. I think we accom plished that.” Tanner, whose group helped re build another burned church in Virginia in October, said the work gives volunteers an opportunity to get to know people from other ra cial, religious and social back grounds. : Kingston said the rash of fires has harmed society, not just con gregations. “When you’ve got churches burning down, it’s not good for society,” Kingston said. “While we may not know the exact cause of every fire, we know the harmful effects of the fires.” THE AMEN CORNER B The Greater Young Zion Baptist Church, 516 Forsythe St., will celebrate the Eighth Anniversary Celebration of its male choir on Sunday, Feb. 9, at 3 p.m. . B Broadway Baptist, 2323 Barton Chapel Rd., will hold a free workshop titled, “Comforting Words for Discomforting Times,” tobe_ held on Saturday, Feb. 8, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Rev. Dr. Donald Porter will be the instructor. Rev. Ella Thomas is interim pastor. B Morehouse College, which was founded at Historic Spring field Baptist Church, will begin celebrating its 130th anniversary with a special service at Springfield on Sunday, Feb. 9, at 11 a.m. Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts 111, pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church of - New York City, will bring the message. E.T. Martin is pastor. B Good Shepherd Baptist Church Brotherhood Ministry will be celebrating their 25th anniversary on Sunday, Feb. 9, at 6. p.m. Rev. Joseph Cook and Zion Hill Baptist Church will be in. charge of the program. Rev. Clarence Moore is pastor. , @ Whole Life Ministries, 2621 Washington Rd., will host a celebration all “Come Let Us Reason Together,” a celebration of love and unity, on Monday, Feb. 10, at 7:30 p.m. For more information, call (706) 737-4530. . B Green Grove Missionary Baptist Church, 1692 Old Savan- - nah Rd. of Augusta, will be holding their 15th Pastoral Appreciation : Celebration for Rev. Lessel Leonard on Sunday, Feb. 9, at 2 p.m. Guest speaker and church will be the Rev. Clarence Moore and the Good Shepherd Baptist Church. Presiding pastor will be the Rev. . George Brightharp, pastor of Mt. Canaan Baptist Church of Tren ton, S.C. B Anointed Ones in Christ (AOIC) present their first annual Why Not Come to Christ Youth Conference Feb. 12 - 14, 7:30 p.m. nightly, at the Trumpet in Zion Ministries, 725 Laney-Walker Blvd. Musical guests will be Perfect Praise from Denver, Colorado and Christ rap artist Divine Menace from Atlanta, Ga. Registration is free. AOIC offers a community choir, praise dancers, a drama club and a Big Sister/Big Brother Club. In the future, they will be offering tutoring and rap sessions to help young people deal with the pressure of today's world. For more information or to register for the conference, call Ka-Tren Hamilton at (706) 733-6486. B Local Area Churches will be sponsoring a Mid-Valley Awak ening Life Action Crusade from Feb. 16 through March 2, at 7 p.m. nightly. The crusade will be held at the Gloverville First Baptist Church at Hwy. 421 in Gloverville, S.C. For more information, call - (803) 593-5868. Am‘ . . . . 1 %fi" Wi illiams Memorial RN A C.M.E. Church Rev. Alex R. King ‘ 1630 Fifteenth St. Augusta, GA 30901 (706) 733-9430 Sunday: Sunday School 9:30 a.m. Worship Service 11:00 a.m. Ist Sunday Evening 6:30 p.m. Wed: Praise Bible Study 7:00 p.m. Thurs: Senior Services 10:00 a.m. Day Care Center: 6:45 a.m.-5:30 p.m. T&]}D © ]l"]l']lcflLC]l@ Baptist Church Dr. C.S. Hamilton, Minister 1223 Laney-Walker Blvd. Augusta, Ga. 30901 Church School 9:30 A.M. * Morning Worship 11 A.M. Broadcast Hour &WTHB Iss§) * Nursery, Kindergarten Open * Bible Study-Tues. 6 P.M. Prayer mcting 1'5:: 7PM.- Sflq{windcrprtcn Services 7 AM.to SP, Enhance your office waiting" room; buy a subscription to Augusta Focus for only $24.95 per year. Call (706) 724-7855 to arrange your purchase.