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NAMB fund to assist burned black churches

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by Revmitchell, Jul 6, 2015.

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  1. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) -- The North American Mission Board has established a fund to help African American churches that have been damaged or destroyed by fire in the past two weeks.

    Fires at seven black churches have fueled discussions of racial hatred, as the first occurred within a week of the June 17 massacre of nine black Christians by a 21-year-old white supremacist at a Charleston church.
    As investigations into the fires continue, two of the blazes have been confirmed as arson and a third has been ruled suspicious. While none of them have been deemed hate crimes, NAMB is already offering assistance.

    “Southern Baptists should be the first to condemn acts of hatred toward African Americans,” NAMB President Kevin Ezell said. “Regardless of the causes of these fires, as brothers and sisters in Christ, we need to come alongside and offer whatever assistance we can.”

    NAMB is starting the fund with $50,000 to be immediately available to the churches in need of assistance.

    http://www.bpnews.net/45087/namb-fund-to-assist-burned-black-churches
     
    #1 Revmitchell, Jul 6, 2015
  2. Baptist Believer

    Baptist Believer Well-Known Member
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    This is what Christians do for each other, and also for those outside the body of faith. I wish there was a way to organize this without it being a news story.

    The people of the SBC are generous, even (and possibly, especially) when no one but God sees what they are doing.
     
    #2 Baptist Believer, Jul 7, 2015
  3. Zaac

    Zaac Well-Known Member

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    Way to go NAMB. It's a shame though that in today's climate, this type of giving is publicized.
     
    #3 Zaac, Jul 7, 2015
  4. preachinjesus

    preachinjesus Well-Known Member
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    There is an inevitable tension isn't there.

    Just the other day I had a leader in the National Baptist Convention griping at me (in a conversation) about how the SBC never does anything about these situations and how the SBC is responsible for so much hate in the South. We have a vigorous discussion with my position being that historically there have been problems but the new leadership of the SBC of this century is seeking to change those things. This is evidence of that change.

    So how do we respond to the long history of neglect or abuses with present day charity and offer a reply?

    I don't know that I have an answer.
     
    #4 preachinjesus, Jul 7, 2015
  5. Crabtownboy

    Crabtownboy Well-Known Member
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    Glad to see the NAMB is doing this. Wish they would do more.
     
    #5 Crabtownboy, Jul 7, 2015
  6. Zaac

    Zaac Well-Known Member

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    Yep.

    First LISTEN.

    Second, as you just did ACKNOWLEDGE what has taken place and what still takes place.

    This alone will go a long way in creating a dialog for mending fences.
     
    #6 Zaac, Jul 7, 2015
  7. Scarlett O.

    Scarlett O. Moderator
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    I'm all for helping these churches. Brothers and sisters in Christ should do that. I have no qualms with giving them the money.

    But one of those churches was a white churches. What are they going to do when they knock on that door and realize they aren't black. Say, "Oops! You don't qualify for our Christian charity?"

    Ezell said this according to the source: “Southern Baptists should be the first to condemn acts of hatred toward African Americans”

    Three of these churches burned because of acts of God or accidents. The fourth is believed to be part of a burglary and the last two are still under investigation.

    Why did he start out his statement this way? No one will hear his second statement that "regardless of how they started....."

    This assumption that crazy racist white people burned down all of these churches out of hatred has blazed everywhere - including this board. Why did he have to perpetuate that unfounded accusation by opening his statement with the intimation that this is what happened and that it only happened to black churches?

    As I said, give them the money - INCLUDING the white church. Christian charity is important.

    But tell the truth.
     
    #7 Scarlett O., Jul 7, 2015
  8. Zaac

    Zaac Well-Known Member

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    He spoke specifically to the black churches. I however don't think Ezell would be opposed to helping any church that has been burned.



    Then don't hear it. And considering this country's RECENT history of which the Southern Baptists played a part, it's not so far-fetched an assumption.


    Unfounded portends that there is no basis for the assumption. HISTORY gives the basis for such an assumption.

    He did.
     
    #8 Zaac, Jul 7, 2015
  9. Scarlett O.

    Scarlett O. Moderator
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    You prove my whole point. Why perpetuate assumptions when the facts say differently?

    I just spent some time at www.nfpa.org (National Fire Protection Association) looking at their latest FAR report (Fire Analysis Research - 2013).

    Church fires have decreased dramatically over the past 20 or so years.

    Of the 1780 church fires from 2007-2011 (their latest report) there were 1780 church/funeral home fires in that five year span. That's an average of 6.8 of those fire per week.

    That's a LOT of fires. Those are the facts.

    46% were caused by cooking accidents and heating issues.
    18% were caused by candles, lighting issues, and electrical issues.
    16% were intentional - but of those, they did not delineate how many were set by white people against black churches.
    They didn't address the other 20%

    Those are the facts.

    None of these 7 fires in the news have been proven to be fires set by racist white people. That is a fact.

    But Ezell and you by your support of his statement are running with the assumption that they ALL were set by racist white people.

    Jim Crow was a long time ago. That one church that burned before BY racist people did so 20 years ago.

    Is there still racism today? Yes. That also is a fact.

    But why are we ignoring the facts of today and perpetuating an assumption (AFTER the facts are clear) that these churches were all black and that they were all set by racist whites?

    Why are facts being ignored now that they have been clearly stated and are so easily found?
     
    #9 Scarlett O., Jul 7, 2015
  10. Zaac

    Zaac Well-Known Member

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    He didn't perpetuate anything. You and others who are clearly tired of folks pointing out that there are racist white people did.

    No one disputed that. Can you dispute the fact that there is a history of racist whites burning black churches in this country?

    In light of the the current racial atmosphere in this country with police officers murdering unarmed black men and an avowed racist murdering 9 black church members, I see no problem with Ezell attempting to do something that unites the Body on the side of right instead of letting the voice of those who would condemn the dead set the tenor.

    Do you know 100% that there was no human involvement?

    That AGAIN is YOUR assumption as neither he nor I said any such thing.

    Jim Crow was still latently in effect in the 80s. His cousin, James Crow Esq has taken up the mantle so don't go acting like FOX News is right about a post-racial United States cause that's a lie.

    Why are you perpetuating the assumption that Ezell or anyone else is doing that when his words don't do any such thing?
    Why are you ignoring the facts of what Ezell DID say as opposed to what you're saying he is ASSUMING?
     
    #10 Zaac, Jul 7, 2015
  11. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    Give a liberal a bucket of money they would complain they had no one to carry it for them.

    Dadgum why can't people just be pleased this is happening. Why do people have to try and turn it into something ugly.:BangHead:
     
    #11 Revmitchell, Jul 7, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 7, 2015
  12. Scarlett O.

    Scarlett O. Moderator
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    I'm sorry for derailing your thread, Rev.

    I allowed my extreme frustration at Ezell's statement to get the better of me.

    Of course, I'm glad people are giving them money.
     
    #12 Scarlett O., Jul 7, 2015
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