CONTACT: Linda Green (Release # 327) (615) 742-5470
June 4, 1997
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) -- A United Methodist pastor is one of three pastors from across the country selected to tell about their congregations' responses to the church burnings in a book to be published by the National Council of Churches (NCC).
The Rev. William M. Vaughan, pastor of New Shiloh United Methodist Church, Humbolt, Tenn., will tell the story of the New Shiloh church in The Fire This Time: Burning Churches and an Ecumenical Response. New Shiloh burned to the ground Dec. 12, 1994. It is a white congregation but most of the churches that have burned across the south since 1990 housed predominately African-American congregations. It is believed that the fires were racially motivated. Vaughan is also pastor of Grace United Methodist Church, Humbolt.
The two other contributors will be the Rev. Terrance Mackey of North Charleston, S.C., and the Rev. Robert Jeffries of Seattle, Wash.
For more than a year, churches and people associated with the National Council of Churches have responded to the church burnings with donations of money, building materials, church supplies and other articles.
Since June 1996, the NCC's Burned Churches Fund has received approximately $7 million in cash along with $2 million in "in- kind" donations for rebuilding and educational programs about racism. The NCC Burned Churches project has worked with 124 congregations and given 98 cash awards to 82 churches.
According to Norman A. Hjelm, editor of the book and former director of the NCC's Faith and Order Commission, the intent of The Fire This Time is to reflect on the ecumenical meaning of solidarity which churches have shown toward those who have been directly affected by the church burnings.
The 128-page paperback volume is to be dedicated to the late Rev. Mac Jones, who led the National Council of Churches effort to bring the church burnings to the attention of the world, before his death March 6th.
Produced by United Methodist News Service, official news agency of the United Methodist Church, with offices in Nashville, Tenn., New York, and Washington.
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