It was 4 AM on March 26, 1996, when the Rev. Harry Baldwin arrived at the place in Millen, Georgia, where, hours before, Gay's Hill Baptist Church had stood. Gay's Hill had been founded in 1925. By the time Pastor Baldwin pulled up on that bleak morning, all that was left was ashes.

"They watched it burn," noted Barbara Campbell. "The fire trucks were there, but they said it was 'too far gone.' They watched it burn to the ground." Campbell--part of the Keysville AmeriCorps Vista Volunteers, who specialize in arson cases and arson prevention--worked on the Gay's Hill case. Although fire investigators determined that the cause of the fire was arson and that gasoline had been used to set it, local officials tried to attribute the burning to a "disgruntled member" or to imply that the pastor of the congregation wanted the insurance money. According to Pastor Baldwin, Gay's Hill Church had reported several incidents of vandalism before the church fire, including a broken-down door and a piano that had been sledge-hammered. Vista followed up the paperwork on the police and fire reports. One of the police reports noted a Caucasian man fleeing the scene. This lead was never pursued by the police department. The arsonist(s) are still at large.

"The insurance money was $28,000. We needed a new church. What were we going to do?" asked Pastor Baldwin. Church members worked hard on several fundraisers for a total of $7000. "That's pretty good for a church of 100 members," the pastor said, "but $35,000 won't build a church today." Fortunately, help was on the way.