Multiple Faiths Raise Funds for Rebuild Black Churches

Spectrum Website
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The Christ Church Cathedral, an Episcopal congregation in St. Louis, Missouri, has established a fund to benefit the predominantly black churches that have been attacked by arsonists in recent weeks. Even though none of the churches targeted have been Episcopal, the Christ Church Cathedral is calling this fundraising drive the “Rebuild Our Churches” fund and states the following on their site:

“At the end of June, four predominantly black churches were burned down by arsonists in a clear attempt to strike a blow at the heart of the black community. As fellow children of God, we stand with our sisters and brothers to help them rebuild these buildings – which are not just houses of worship but centers of ministry for their community.”

Christ Church Cathedral set an initial fundraising goal of $25,000, but they quickly surpassed that amount, and as of this writing raised nearly $54,000.

As Spectrum reported earlier today, the number of black churches that have been targeted has risen from the four Christ Church Cathedral mentions to a total of six, including College Hill Seventh-day Adventist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Christ Church Cathedral plans to add any additional black churches that have been burned down and deemed to be arson as recipients of their fundraising drive. In August, they will take all funds raised and divide equally among these congregations.

Christ Church Cathedral has challenged other congregations of all denominations and religions to take a stand for these churches: “Communities of all faiths are invited to hold special offerings as a sign of interfaith solidarity against racism and with our sisters and brothers of faith.”

So far 48 churches have answered this call. They range from Episcopal, Lutheran, Baptist and Methodist, to Jewish and Muslim, and are located in a variety of states primarily in the Midwest and southern United States. At the time of this article's publication, no Adventist churches were listed among the participating churches. Additional congregations that wish to participate can email Christ Church at RebuildTheChurches@gmail.com.

Alisa WIlliams is Spirituality Editor for SpectrumMagazine.org.

This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at http://spectrummagazine.org/node/6894
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The attacks continue in the form of death threats to women pastors because they are women in ministry. Moral support should be offered them by individuals & groups.
http://www.rawstory.com/2015/07/latest-blow-to-black-ame-churches-in-sc-letters-threaten-to-kill-women-pastors-and-their-children/

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Oh, those women pastors. They are such a threat… to male leadership… :anguished:

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Thank you for your research and coverage of this!

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George
They are such a threat to WHITE MALE Leadership.
A lot of these SIster Pastors are ALSO in the work force. They are rubbing shoulders with their White Sisters. Talking to their White Sisters, Sharing their church with their White Sisters. Making their White Sisters envious.

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I search the fundraising webpage at: https://cccathedralstl.dntly.com/campaign/2571#/ and found the name of the church in Tennessee believed to have been burned by arsonists but not in the list of churches that are having special offerings to help with Christchurch Cathedral’s fundraising. I am wondering if there are SDA churches holding special offerings to help victims of these arson attacks?

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Nope-- I just crunched the numbers, though. 91 faith communities have signed up to take offerings so far: 9 Jewish temples and synagogues, 1 mosque, 2 interfaith centers, 9 Lutheran churches, 8 Methodist, 6 United Church of Christ, 1 Presbyterian, 2 Catholic, 3 Baptist, 1 Assemblies of God, 2 Quaker gatherings, 1 Unitarian group, 1 non-denominational evangelical, 3 unidentifiable (I tried), and FORTY-TWO Episcopalian churches. One of the churches taking a collection for others is one of the churches that was actually burned. 25% of funds raised will go to rebuild an Adventist church, but no Adventist churches have signed up to take collections yet.

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Racism and sexism are more closely related than the “homosexuality threat” (though homophobia fits the same category). We reap what we sow … “God’s own country” experiencing terrorism from within…

However, the efforts of other Christians - not even directly implicated - is a demonstration of the love that Christ speaks about: By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

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This is unconscionable. Embarrassing, all the way around. Good Heavens.

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But Adventists are not helping their own congregation OR anyone else’s? Maybe their male pastor is in San Antonio, and no one else has permission to do anything.

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Would be great for folks reading this to let their pastors know what’s going on, whether they’re in San Antonio or not. Wouldn’t it be great if a special offering could be taken up at the GC session to help all four churches in partnership with these other faith communities?

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I understand that no SDA church has signed up for this particular fundraiser. I was wondering if anyone knew of any individual churches have decided to do fundraising independent from this interfaith program.

We all know the allergic reaction that the SDA church has to interfaith cooperation so it would not surprise me at all that there was little desire to take part in the interfaith fundraiser mentioned above.

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As it happens, the Glendale SDA church is having a special offering to help rebuild historically black churches recently burned. They are doing it in cooperation with the Christ Church Cathedral fund.

https://www.facebook.com/glendalecitysda

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