Newspaper Page Text
Future of Bethlehem
Center jeopardized by
legal wrangling, animosity
B Quit-claim deed not
likely to be obtained,
according to attorneys.
By Miranda Gastiaburo
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
AUGUSTA
The ownership dispute over property
and buildings of the Bethlehem Commu
nity Center continues. The Women’s Divi
sion of the General Board of Global Min
istries for the United Methodist Church
and Bethlehem Community Center, Inc.
both feel that they rightly own the proper
ties.
The Women’s Division feel that Mr.
Leamon Grier, current executive director
of Bethlehem Community Center, Inc.,
gave up his rights to occupy the buildings
by not living up to their expectations and
requirements.
According to legal documents, the
Women’s Division owns the property and
building at the original building site. They
would like to have full control of the adja
cent property (the new building) as well.
Their interest in the property is to do
what'’s best for the local community, ac
cordingtoactingattorney for the Women'’s
Division and the National United Method
ist Church, Roger Whiteman. The UMC
wants full ownership of said property re
stored to the Women’s Division so they can
implement and restore programs issued
by the Book and Discipline of the United
Methodist Church, a guideline issued by
the National United Methodist Church.
:According to Whiteman, the new build
ihg title was issued in the name of
Bethlehem Community Center, Inc. be
cause of its fundingsource. HUD provided
most of the funds for the building, and in
order to begin the project, they had to
issuethetitle tothe corporation because of
“separation of church and statelaws.” The
Women's Division was too much of a reli
gious entity to receive funds from HUD
for a building.
The Women's Division is presently lay
ing claim to the building because they
claim to have also given $15,000 toward
the property purchase. However, accord
ing to Grier, historical records show that
$15,000 was not given toward the pur
chase, but that the UMC issued a $5,000
grant for the center.
The Women'’s Division and the National
UMC feel that Mr. Grier is not doing his
job, therefore, they feel the property should
be turned over to them. “It is our position
that he has not followed the programs
issued by the Discipline of the National
UMC and that he did not live up to the
UMC’s standards, usages, etc. stated in
the trust clause of the deed.”
The “trust clause” refers to a portion of
current deeds and theßook of Discipline of
the United Methodist Church that states
“Intrust, said premisesshall be held, kept,
maintained, and disposed of for benefit of
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A Closer Look
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The landmark two-story brick building housing the Bethlehem Center sits
vacant while ownership of a nearby building is hotly contested.
the United Methodist Church and subject
to the usages and the Discipline of the
United Methodist Church.”
When Bethlehem Community Center,
Inc. took the title to the property, it essen
tially agreed to the trust clause. “But the
question facing the UMC is: How is that
property now being used for the benefit of
the UMC? It is our position that it is not,”
said Whiteman.
Because the UMC and Women’s Divi
sion feel Grier did not live up to his end of
the bargain, they want control of the prop
erty. The Women'’s Division wants to take
over the building, get a new executive
director, a new board, and new programs
started. “They feel Grier has let the ceter
and its programs go down the tubes, so he
must go” said Whiteman. “We want to do
what’s best for the community.”
The Bethlehem Community Center, Inc.
isrequired to have one-third of its Board of
Directors be women and men from the
United Methodist Church, one-third ex
perts from the community at large, and
one-third people who are served [by the
center] in the local neighborhood.
“Thelocal program has always been run
by local people. We want to keep it that
way,” Whiteman said. “The Women'’s Di
vision wants to continue touse the name of
Bethlehem Community Center, sinceitisa
big historical figure in your local commu
nity, but that name is controlled by the
corporation—by Mr. Grier. It is my sug
gestion that Grier help turn control of the
new building over to the Women’s Divi
sion so that they can in turn make a pledge
of X dollars to renovate the building and
rejuvenate the programs,” he said.
Mr. Grier’s position is that because he
has worked for the Bethlehem Commu
nity Center’s betterment, without pay,
that he—and the corporation—won’t give
it up without a fight. He wants full owner
ship of the property turned over to the
corporation so that the $285,000 in funds
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allocated for building restoration and pro
grams can be released to the center. Grier
feels this, not the UMC'’s plan, is what is
best for the community. Accordingto Grier,
the UMC and the Women’s Division don’t
have the center’s or the community’s best
interest at heart. “My Board and I feel that
they are outright thieves. They have been
taking property from people like this for
years,” he said.
“I feel the UMC broke a relationship
bond with us when they stopped sending
funds to the center for the betterment of
the community,” said Grier. “Since 1977,
the UMC has not given over $200,000 total
to the center. And we’re not géing to ‘pay
back $15,000 dollars that was never re
ceived and give up the rights to our name
to the UMC. We’ve been called the
Bethlehem Community Center for over 60
years. It shouldn’tbechanged. These things
are never going to happen,” said Grier.
Grierstatesthat the UMC and Women'’s
Division need to refocus. “Instead of mak
ing statements like ‘We’re going to give
funds so the local children can have a
clownday,’ they need to be sending money
to fix the dilapidated housing, fund Chris
tian education centersand otherreal needs
of the community. Until they do so, we will
continue to claim both properties—legally
and through God,” he said.
What will happen to the $285,000 in city
funds until the matter is settled?
According to commissioner Moses Todd,
county officials are supportive of Grier’s ef
fort to restore the center. “We would like to
see him get the sales-tax referendum funds,
but if he doesn’t come up with the proper
documentation, he’s not going to be able to
get any funds out of the city,” he said.
“Grier’s personal problems with the
UMC don’t concern us. We're only inter
ested in proof of ownership,” said Todd.
“He’s not going to pull the wool over our
eyes. He's got to come up with proof that
the UMC does not own the property.”
Closer To Home
FOCUS IN SOUTH CAROLINA By Lawrence E. Harrison
Popular music is a
reflection of society
he products of culture have al
ways defined the times in which
we live. Musicis a principle prod
uct. My generation had the
Motown sound. Previously, it was
Rock ‘n’ Roll, the Blues, and even Swing
and Big Band. Today’syouth model them
selves on Rap, among others. It is very
muchin focus. African Americansalways
had music in their souls. It filtered out in
all directions. It not only made you move.
If you listened closely, it told something
as well; whether it be spiritual, of man
and woman, or whatever. We had com
mentary longbefore newspapers and tele
vision. -
There were kinder and gentler times
before...at least in theminds of those who
saw a closed society in terms of limited or
no mental or social expression in the arts
as healthy. All did not agree. There were
those who wondered why the beat of the
music couldn’t have a little more “hop”
to it, why lyrics couldn’t be about what
was so real. Oh, the scandal! The notion
of the “Devil’s music!” In a true democ
racy, popular expressions need not to be
afraid to be redefined. We are enriched
for the change, even if we are not aware
of it at first.
The awareness was certainly there in
the sixties. The music and the artists
were smooth and optimum renditions.
They had to be. The unthreatening im
ages were not by accident. We had more
control of the images then. It paid off.
The black youth of the sixties wanted
very much to sound like, look like, and
identify with the images of style and
sophistication he or she saw onthe TV, it
GUEST COLUMN By Willie Knox
Discipline creates successful
African-American children
| uccessful discipline creates suc
l cessful children. As African
3 Americans, if we want our chil
‘ dren to succeed, we must take
responsibility for providing dis
cipline that promotes success. That was
i the message shared last month at the first
Successful Discipline Rally for African-
American parents. The Rally, held at
Tubman Middle School on February 17th,
i gave African-American parents and oth
ers in the community an opportunity to
define discipline and examine conditions
inthe community that influence the well
being of African-American children. Those
parents who attended the Successful Dis
cipline Rally were eager to hear solutions
that would make theirjob as parents less
stressful and more rewarding. You are
probably seeing the same solutions to
fulfill your role as an African-American
parent. There are steps that you can take
to be a better parent. The three sugges
tions below are designed to help you get
started.
Accept responsibility for disci
pline.
President Harry S. Truman said, “The
buck stops here.” This quote has great
relevance for us today as African Ameri
cans. Why? Because so many of us are
passing the buck when it comes to disci
plining African-American children. In
stead of taking on the task ourselves, we
pass the buck along to the school, the
community or anyone else who just hap
pens tobe around. Unfortunately, some of
‘those we turn to do not have the best
interest of our children at heart. If we
want the job of raising African-American
children to be done in the right way, then
we must accept responsibility for getting
Celebrate your special occasions
with a fine meal at BL’s Restaurant,
1117 Laney-Walker Blvd. Call
828-7799 to make
your arrangements.
AUGUSTA FOCUS MARCH 20, 1997
was real to us.
But, as they say, that was then, this is
now. The times have certainly changed,
for the better and for the worse. Genera
tions have probably always disagreed over
the worth and interpretations of its popu
lar music. Maybe it is about what our
ears havebeen trained to hear and appre
ciate, or maybe it is the natural order of
things, of human beings. There seems,
however, to be more than that at stake
for African Americans.
Mostly unintelligible lyrics and the
music itself do not create or produce
violence. Society and the community do
that; the person does that. What is dis
turbing is the message that it is accept
able, all right; death is welcomed for
yourself and others. What hope, what
future is there in that setting? The anti
establishment message is not new. But
the anti-self, antihumanity one is cer
tainly novel for African-Americans. It is
also a very dangerous one. It is not that
we long for the past, it is that we long for
the future. We should not have to weep
for it. '
No, what we consider the sounds of the
times is not responsible for all the ills of
our society, no matter whether we view
them in the present or past tense. It is
just the way we are and who we are.
Sometimes, our music ushers in and sig
nalsin times of enlightenment. We should
hope that would always be the case, for
culture truly defines humanity. That
definition should not have to include
“lack of humanity” for some. If it does,
then surely we are all lackig.
the job done. ‘
Use cultural heritage as a founda
tion for disciplining African-Ameri
can children.
Recently, I had a very serious discus
sion with a relative whodidn’t have many
positive things to say about people of Afri
can ancestry. As a matter of fact, com
ments made by my family member were
so negative that I was convinced more
than ever that African-American chil
dren need a cultural base for discipline.
When something as basic as discipline is
based on culture, African-American chil
dren can’t help but feel that they are
appreciated by those who discipline them.
Knowing this can boost how they feel
about themselves. If children feel good
about who they are, maybe they will learn
to appreciate others who look like they do.
Be persistent: never give up.
Special training is not required of any
one who wants tobe a parent. Because of
this, many of those who become parents
areat aloss when it comes todisciplining
their children. However, thisisno excuse
for parents to give up when they encoun
ter obstacles that seem impossible to over
come. A “good parent” will continue in
their efforts to find resources that will
help them discipline their children for
success. These parents know that in the
long run, persistence always pays off.
Plans are underway for the 1997 Suc
cessful Discipline Rally on Tour for Afri
can-American Parents. The tour begins
June 7th with stops in major cities
throughout Georgia and the Southeast.
Ifyou would like more information about
theSuccessful Discipline Rally on Touror
would like to be a sponsor or patron,
contact Willie Knox at (706) 868-0106.
9A