Tuesday, June 11, 1996

Neighboring churches burn in Texas

By JANINE ZUNIGA
Associated Press

GREENVILLE - Two black churches were burned within hours in a case suspiciously reminiscent of the fires that have ravaged Southern black churches over the past 18 months.

Three men were being questioned Monday, but police would not immediately link the blazes with those that have drawn national outrage.

The New Light House of Prayer suffered extensive damage to a rear classroom and attic area and heavy smoke damage to the sanctuary.

Still, Pastor Chester Thomas vowed the blaze would not interrupt the worshipping schedule of his 150-member congregation.

"We're going to have church services, outside if we have to," Thomas said. "I'll get a tent."

About a mile away, members of the Church of the Living God were trying to recover from a fire that charred exterior siding and an interior wall.

Authorities questioned two white men and a Hispanic man Monday about the fire at New Light. The three men, who were charged with unrelated crimes, also were being questioned about the other fire, although it was reported three hours after they were arrested.

The two incidents in this city of 32,000 about 40 miles northeast of Dallas bring the number of burned black churches in the South to more than 30 in the last year and a half.

"When you burn down a black church, you are definitely making a racial statement," said the Rev. Lee Hardmon of Greenville United Baptist Church.

In Washington, Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin announced that a 13-year-old white girl was arrested Sunday night and charged as a juvenile with Thursday's burning of the old sanctuary of a black church in Charlotte, N.C. Rubin met with 60 black ministers to discuss the series of church burnings. He and other officials promised an aggressive federal investigation of all the fires.

During a visit Monday to San Diego, President Clinton mentioned the Texas fire and said: "We have got to stop these things. ... We need to come together as one America to rebuild our churches, restore hope and show the forces of hatred they cannot win."

Gov. George W. Bush called the fires outrageous.

"By far the vast majority of Texans are decent, caring people who understand the value of church to our community, and for cowards to be doing this is anti-Texan," he said.

Thomas said he had some questions for whoever is responsible for the destruction at his Texas church:

"What have I done to you? I love you. Why do hate me to burn my building down?," he said.
Augusta Temon, 75, who helped build New Light church in the late 1940s, said the building held a special meaning.

"It's very valuable because it's the only thing I feel like that we really own is the black church," she said. "When someone burns it down, it takes away ... the peace of mind."

Witnesses reported seeing a car in the driveway of the New Light House of Prayer shortly before the blaze was reported there, said Wood, the fire chief.

Authorities would not discuss whether they suspected racially motivated arson. However, two other incidents reported early Sunday involved the letters "KKK."

At a local golf course, "KKK" and "KIX" were carved into one of the greens using two flag poles, which later were thrown into a pond. Also gouged into the grass were a swastika and what appeared to be an inverted cross, police reports show.

At a car wash, "KKK" was spray-painted onto a wall, and vandals broke ladders, a toilet seat and three coin-operated machines, reports show. A fire was started in a box of drying towels.

Late Sunday, shortly after police received a description of the car in the New Light driveway, an officer went to the home of Mark Gross.

Police reports show the officer arrived around 11:45 p.m. Shortly after 1 a.m., Gross drove up and was arrested along with his two passengers, Juan Fernando Avila and Bradley Blankenship, both 18.

Gross, 22, had spent two days in jail over the weekend for warrants on five misdemeanor charges, police reports show. Monday's arrest was for failure to show a driver's license and making alcohol available to minors. He later pleaded no contest.

Avila and Blankenship were charged for being minors in possession of alcohol. They pleaded guilty.

Around Greenville, a group of 18 ministers formed the Ministerial Alliance and issued a joint statement Monday saying they stand in solidarity against the fires.

"We condemn any expression of racial hatred and intolerance and especially the burning of churches," said Pastor David Stubblefield of Ridgecrest Baptist Church, reading from the statement.
"We pledge to stand together in opposition to racism and violence and will expand our efforts to promote racial harmony and understanding."

The Rev. Mike Nichols of Greenville United Methodist Church offered his facility as a place of worship. He said he hopes the fire is not another example of hate crime in the nation.

"We don't need that," Nichols said. "We need reconciliation and working together, not working against each other."