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APRIL 24,1997 AUGUSTA FOCUS
Atlanta banks get SIOO,OOO check
in drive to rebuild burned churches
The Congress of
National Black
Churches donate cash
to black-owned banks.
$12.8 million is sought.
ATLANTA
(AP) Two Atlanta banks pre
sented with SIOO,OOO checks are
among 11 owned by blacks that
will get the deposits as part of a
national campaign to raise money
for rebuilding burned churches.
The Congress of National Black
Volunteers step up for Barnwell church
BARNWELL, S.C.
(AP) Rosemary Baptist Church
took its first step toward regain
ing its own house of worship when
hundreds of volunteersturned out
to raise the frame for a new sanc
tuary.
Workers from as far as Spring
field, Mass. helped put the frame
and trusses into place Saturday.
The Rosemary Baptist congre
gation has been without a home
since an April 13, 1996 fire that
remains unsolved. It is one of 36
South Carolina churchesthat have
burned down since 1991, includ
ing 23 with black or mixed-rac
congregations.
“It seems like a tragedy, but I
think it was a God blessing be
cause look what we’ve got today,”
Harold Walker said, waving in the
direction of a church foundation
brimming with volunteers.
Walker, 43, has been a member
of Rosemary for 36 years. His chil
dren, a 9-year-old-son-and a-14-
year-old daughter, also are grow
ing up in the church.
Even the church’s pastor was
surprised by the number of people
who came to help rebuild Rose
mary Baptist.
“I found out that there were
more people that cared than I ever
had any idea that cared about black
churches,” said the Rev.A.R. Ruth.
Among the workers was a group
of more than 70 men, white and
Southern Baptist, who showed up
as Brotherhood Builders.
A volunteer organization of the
state Baptist Convention, the
Brotherhood builds churches all
across South Carolina. They do
nated money from an arson fund
for the property where Rosemary
is being built. They also provided
funds for the foundation and sub
flooring.
In the past 10 years, the orga
nization has helped build more
than 100 churches in South Caro
lina, including at least one other
)
Ty
Ty
- .
AUGUSTA’S GOSPEL ALIVE
Serving the CSRA with
Soul Stirring Gospel Power
AW Day, Every Day !l
Churches Inc., the nation’s larg
est black church association, de
posited the checks Tuesday at
Citizens Trust Bank and Capital
City Bank.
Bank customers and others can
make donations to match the de
positstorebuild or repair about 50
black or multiracial churches in
13 states, including South Caro
lina, during the next three years.
The church association said 370
churches, mostly in the South,
have been torched between Janu
ary 1995 and March 19, 1997.
“We hope others will support
our efforts to prevent arson and
burned by arson.
Project Rebuild members from
Springfield, Mass., also got their
hands dirty this weekend.
The group will send teams of
volunteers to Barnwell all sum
mer, until the church is built.
Project Rebuild began last sum
mer after members of the Spring
field community became con
cerned about the number of church
arsons taking place in America.
This past week, a team of 28
students from Western New En
CHURCH BURNINGS
Justice Department reports ;
church burnings on the decline
B Decline in church
burnings due to
greater coordination
between national
and local govern
ment agencies.
WASHINGTON D.C.
U.S. Justice Depar.ment of
ficials in Washington told
Georgia Congressmen Charlie
Norwood (R-10) and Jack
Kingston (R-1) Wednesday
that the number of church
burnings across the nation is
now on the decline.
Patricia Campbell Glenn, re
gional director of the Depart-
Spirit
rebuild churches in our communi
ties,” said Bishop John Hurst
Adams of South Carolina, the
association’s founder. “We also
want to empower black financial
institutions to serve the commu
nities where they are located.”
Adams said he hopes the money
will bring the banks more customers.
“It will encourage otherstomake
deposits with these banks and if
they have a bigger asset base, they
can make bigger loans and more
loans,” he said.
In January, the Congress of Na
tional Black Churches Inc. an
nounced a $12.8 million campaign
gland College came down to do the
prep work.
Teams are integrated and take
partinstudycircles that talk about
race relations, a subject many of
the mostly white students don’t
know how to approach.
“Thisis challengingtheattitudes
and climate that allow churches to
be burned in the first place,” said
the Rev. Morris Stimage-Norwood,
a Project Rebuild organizer who
formerly served Ladson Presbyte
rian Church in Columbia. “It’s not
about black and white, just being
ment of Justice Community
Relations Service, and Gregory
Henderson, general counsel for
the Service, say that the num
ber of reported instances of
church burnings is decreasing.
The officials attribute the de
cline to greater coordination be
tweenthe FBI, the Bureau of Alco
hol, Tobacco, and Firearms and
state and local law enforcement
agencies. Henderson says the coor
dinated efforts have led to an in
crease in the number of suspect
apprehensions, and that has cre
ated a greater deterrence factor
among potential arsonists.
Campbell and Henderson re
lated that the crackdown has led
to at least 30 arrests thus far.
However, Justice Department
Investigators have not found any
to rebuild burned churches — us
ing fire-retardant materials. The
group received a $6 million grant
from the Indianapolis-based Lilly
Foundation.
The “challenge deposits” are a
way to collect the rest, Adams said.
The money raised will first be
used io rebuild churches — an
effort likely to begin this summer
in Georgia, Adams said.
Then the group wants to pay for
public service announcements, a
documentary on church burnings
and an essay-writing campaign in
elementary and high schools in
the 13 states.
together and holding hands.”
The new church also has a new
location after a majority of church
members voted tochange 114 years
of history and move from the ru
ral, isolated site eight miles away
to the Wingo subdivision.
“It was a wrenching decision,”
said the Rev. Ann Geer, a leader
with Project Rebuild. “My under
standing is no one who voted to
move did so lightly.”
The decision was based largely
on a concern for safety, she said.
connections between the sus
pects, or any evidence that
shows the burnings to be part
of a conspiracy.
Norwood and Kingston re
quested the briefing as part of
ongoing efforts to investigate
the burnings which havedrawn
national attention over recent
years. Both Congressmen re
cently participated in the re
building of Gays Hill Baptist
Church near Millen, Ga., which
burned in March 1996.
The Justice Department has
investigated a total of eight
churches in Georgia burned
in 1996, and four thus far in
1997. Federal officials do not
have access to statistics on
church burnings priot to
1995.
THE AMEN CORNER
8 The Business Advocate Group of The Good Shepherd Baptist
Church, 1505 Sunset Avenue, is sponsoring a business and trade
fair on Saturday, April 26, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Booths will
feature interactive computer demonstrations, fashion designs, edu
cational books, home decor and art, vacuum cleaner repairs and
much more. Enjoy prizes, networking and fun in a Christian
atmosphere. No charge or fee. Call Marian Brown at 733-0341 for
more details. Rev. Clarence Moore is pastor. :
B The Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, Augusta Ave. and
Florence St., will hold a Deaconess “Tent Revival” on Saturday, April
26, from 3 - 7 p.m. in the church parking lot. The church will hold
their annual Spring Revival from Monday through Friday, April 28
through May 2, beginning 7 p.m. nightly. Guest evangelist will be
Dr.R.L. White of Atlanta, Ga. Rev. Dr. Kenneth B. Martin is pastor.
B Everfaithful Missionary Baptist Church will celebrate the
Senior Choir Annual Anniversary on Sunday, April 27. Guest
speaker will be the Rev. Hezekiah Pressley of the Shining Star
Ministries and his church family will be in charge of the services.
Rev. Dr. Rosa L. Williams is pastor.
H Elim Baptist Church will celebrate the 34th anniversary of its
R.L. Boyd Chorus on Sunday, April 27, at 6 p.m. Featured guest
choir will be the First Shiloh Baptist Gospel Choir. Rev. Charles E.
Smith is pastor.
B Second Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, 1404 Brown St., will
celebrate their Youth Choir Anniversary on Sunday, April 27, at 3
p.m. Theme will be “Jesus Christ is Still the King of Kings.” Rev.
Andy Thornton is pastor.
B Thankful Baptist Church, 302 Walker St., will be holding a
Spring Revival from Sunday through Friday, April 27 through May
2. Sunday revival will begin at 6 p.m. with Rev. Dr. J.R. Hatney as
guest minister. The weekday revivals will begin at 7 p.m. nightly
with Rev. Dr. Blakely Scott, pastor of the First Nazareth Baptist
Church of Columbia, S.C., as guest evangelist for the week. Rev.
Gregory A. Young is pastor.
B Broadway Baptist Church, 2323 Barton Chapel Rd., will be
hosting the “Sermon of Origination” by Sister Glossine Davis Patten
on Sunday, April 27,at4 p.m. Rev. Ella B. Thomasis interim pastor.
B Union Baptist Church, 1104 Greene St., will celebrate their
“Men Day” program on Sunday, April 27, at 11 a.m. Guest speaker
will be Sen. Charles W. Walker. Rev. William Wright is pastor.
B The members of the Augusta District Missionary Society,
C.M.E. Church, are sponsoring a district-wide Golden Missionary
March and. Fellowship on Saturday, May 3, at 6 p.m.; at the
Vanderhorst C.M.E. Church in Thomson, Ga. The main feature of
the program will be the honoring of all missionaries who are 80 years
of age or older. Another feature will be the official crowning of the
1997-98 Missionary Queen. Ms. Darnell Daniels is general chair
person and Mrs. Ruth Douglas is district president. Rev. Gene R.
Dean is the presiding elder.
B Macedonia Baptist Church, 1828 Wrightsboro Rd., has free
clothing for those in need. The Clothes Closet hours of operation are
11 am. - 1 p.m. on Saturdays. For additional information, please
contact Ms. Candy Katz at 737-6834 (Monday, Wednesday, Friday
and Saturday).
B The Friendly Church of God in Christ, 1115 Carrie St., will
be serving a weekly meal to anyone in the Laney-Walker Blvd. area
who is hungry. The church will serve meals every Wednesday from
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Elder Leroy James is pastor.
B Maranatha Christian Center, 400 Warren Rd., offers an 8
a.m. communion service, 9 and 10:30 a.m. early worship services, a
12:15 a.m. gospel “camp meeting” service, a 5 p.m. school of the Holy
Spirit and a 7 p.m. arts and drama in worship service. A nursery is
always provided. ;
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T&fl) ernac ll.@
Baptist Church
Dr. C.S. Hamilton, Minister
1223 Laney-Walker Blvd.
Augusta, GA 30901
Church School 9:30 A.M. *Morning Worship 11
AM. Broadcast Hour (WTHB 1550) * Nursery,
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Prayer Meeting Tues. 7 P.M.*Daily Kindergarten
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