THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, June 7, 1994 TAG: 9406070349
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: D3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MIKE KNEPLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940607 LENGTH: HAMPTON
``Your fate is bound up in the fate of the neighborhood,'' Cisneros said. ``To the extent that you help save the neighborhood, you're helping save the church and the congregation.''
{REST} He asked churches to form partnerships with HUD. ``We cannot do this job from the federal government. . . . We need people at the grass roots, and there is no more genuine grass-roots leadership in America than the African-American church,'' Cisneros said.
To show his sincerity, Cisneros announced creation of a HUD liaison with churches, headed by a black female pastor. He spoke at the 80th annual Ministers' Conference at Hampton University.
The tone for his plea to the ministers was set by the Rev. Michael A. Battle Sr., university chaplain.
``We can have some of the most brilliant testimonies in the world, but if the communities around our churches happen to be dying communities because we have not tried to revitalize them, then we are talking the talk but not walking the walk,'' Battle said.
But Battle also challenged HUD:
``Since (Cisneros) has a large budget and a large heart, we think that we can help him spend some of that large budget and demonstrate some of the largeness of his heart.''
Cisneros seemed to take the hint. ``I intend to put resources, money, time, energy, people into the fight to include the African-American church in our strategy,'' he said.
He outlined priorities of his two-year, $60 billion proposed budget and told the audience how black churches could contribute.
Homelessness. The proposal doubles allocations from $823 million to $1.7 billion. ``It's the right thing to do,'' he said. He asked black churches to apply for grants.
Public housing reform. Churches, he said, can offer youth programs, recreation, mentorships, child care, job training and gang prevention. ``If you can help us in public-housing settings, we will help safeguard the buildings you have built and make sure that the congregation is safe,'' he said.
Affordable housing. ``We want to get back into the business of working with the African-American churches to build housing for congregations.''
Housing discrimination. ``Choice means that if you want to stay in the central city, then let's create a setting which is safe and decent and of quality, and not characterized by random violence and drugs and crime,'' he said. ``But if a person wants to . . . go to another area, then that ought to be a choice that is not impeded by discrimination at the bank officer's desk.'' He asked churches to counsel people on moving to new areas and to welcome them when they relocate.
Revitalizing communities. ``In many communities,'' he said, ``there is no one that speaks for the African-American communities more than the pastors of the prominent churches.''
by CNB