Contact: Linda Bloom • (212) 870-3803 • New York
Seven United Methodist churches are among the 29 church buildings an Indiana man has now been charged with setting on fire.
According to the Associated Press, Jay Scott Ballinger, 36, was indicted July 27 by a federal grand jury in Indianapolis. He was charged with setting 17 church fires in Indiana, California, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina and Tennessee over a five-year period.
Ballinger, who was arrested in February, already had been charged in 12 other church arsons in Indiana and Georgia. He remains in federal custody.
One of the fires – at New Salem United Methodist Church in Commerce, Ga., on Dec. 31, 1998 – resulted in the death of a volunteer firefighter.
Besides New Salem, other United Methodist Churches that Ballinger is charged with burning include:
Indiana police have said Ballinger had a longtime interest in Satanism.
Donations to assist in the church rebuilding and education efforts can be made to United Methodist Advance No. 982700-1, earmarked "church burnings." Checks can be dropped in church collection plates or mailed to Advance GCFA, P.O. Box 9068, GPO, New York, NY 10087-9068.
More information about the Board of Global Ministries' work with burned churches is available by calling Lesley Crosson at (212) 870-3916 or sending an e-mail to lcrosson@gbgm-umc.org.
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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