THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, June 15, 1996 TAG: 9606150302
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF AND WIRE REPORT
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: 55 lines
The pastors of the black churches that have been burned across the South are being invited to a summit by the Chesapeake--based Christian Coalition.
``We believe that it's absolutely imperative to send a strong and substantive message that the color barrier that once divided Christians has been shattered,'' said Ralph Reed, executive director of the Christian Coalition, from San Francisco on Friday.
``White evangelicals will stand shoulder to shoulder with their black brothers and sisters to combat these senseless acts of racial hatred,'' he said.
Fires have destroyed 34 black Southern churches in the past 18 months.
A Virginia church, the Glorious Church of God in Christ Church in Richmond, was burned Feb. 21. Morris Mahoney, a church elder, is planning to attend the summit, a church spokesman said.
The summit, scheduled for Tuesday in Atlanta, will address the needs of the black congregations and the ways white congregations can help.
Reed said that reaching out to black churches is ``part of an ongoing effort to make the Christian Coalition a true rainbow coalition which includes people of all colors.'' The coalition, founded by religious broadcaster Pat Robertson, has 1.7 million members and supporters. Reed said about 5 percent of the group's members are black.
The Rev. Alfred Baldwin, pastor of the First Missionary Baptist Church, which burned Thursday in Enid, Okla., said he has seen an ``enormous outpouring of love'' from other Christians, black and white.
``Assemblies of God, Catholics, Baptists, National Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, goodwill calls from Arkansas, Texas, Massachusetts, Florida - there are as many calls from the white churches as from the black churches,'' Baldwin said.
He said he would not attend the summit, however, because he is too busy with the aftermath of the fire.
In April, the Christian Coalition posted a $25,000 reward to anyone who can provide critical information in the church burnings. MEMO: Methodists in Virginia will be asked to help fund the rebuilding
of the burned black churches/B7 ILLUSTRATION: ``White evangelicals will stand shoulder to shoulder
with their black brothers and sisters to combat these senseless acts
of racial hatred.''
- Ralph Reed, executive director of the Christian Coalition
About the Summit
When: Tuesday
Where: Atlanta
Purpose: To address the needs of black congregations and the ways
white congregations can help.
KEYWORDS: CHRISTIAN COALITION FIRES BLACK CHURCH by CNB