Th uproar Rollins c ted
not only led to official inquiri
into t faim of th el ion,
but B mini te in an
extrem ly unfl t ring light.
They accused him of m.irch­
ing th reputation of the Black
church, and some filed a 500
million slander sui against him.
INDEED, THE Harlems
cross America, Black churchgo­
e are putting their mon y to-
ard credit unions, housing,
new busin and other ways
of reclaiming their neighbor­
hoods.
The dollar figures are impos-
o
•
1
violenc
BY JOHN AFFLECK
ALBANY, .Y. (AP) - Religious leaders from
across New York were scheduled to meet again
today to find ways of combating what everal of
them called the state's.worst problem - violent
crime.
"It' reached the point where we can no
longer just wring our hands and denounce it,"
said Bishop Howard Hubbard, leader of Al­
bany's Roman Catholic diocese.
The Rev. Arleon Kelley, a United Methodist
clergyman and executive director of the New
York S t ouncil of Churches, said ligiou
leaders are in a good position to do something
about the proliferation of crime.
"We know our neighborhoods, we know
what's going on around our churches," he said.
"Violence is a spiritual issue, not just a criminal
issue. "
The council, the New York Board of Rabbis
and the New York State Catholic Conference
are cosponsoring the meeting, which concludes
on Thursday. The goal of the event is to formu­
late anti-violence policy proposals that the re­
ligious community can unite behind, organizers
said.
tive vice president of the New York Board of
Rabbis. "Naturally the economy is on people's
minds, but violence I think is even mora," he
said.'
In New York state; 200,165 violent crimes
were reported last year, down from a record of
211,955 in 1990, according to the state Depart­
ment of Criminal -Justice Services. But in 1970,
there were 124,613 reported incidents of crimes
such as murder, rape and assault.
OF JUVE E for violent
crim have ri n 80 per nt during the past
five years, state officials said.
"The very soul of this nation is at risk, " said
state Criminal Justice Director Richard Gir­
genti, who addressed the conference Tu day.
Hubbard, who has spent much of his career
working with the inner city poor, blamed the
breakdown of the family as the primary reason
for increased violence. .
"With greater family dysfunction, there's
more people who don't have the coping skills to
handle their violent impulses," he said. "We've
developed an underclass in society that see ab­
solutely no light at the end of the tunnel ...
there's just a. milieu of despair."
Rosenthal said the growth of violence on
television and in films has correlation to crime.
The interfaith group should meet with network
executives and threaten them with advertizer
boycotts if they don't tone down on-screen vio­
lence, he said.
"I don't believe in censorship," he said. "But
I don't believe in the glorification of violence, or
should I say, the gorification of violence."
THE STATE' JEWISH, Protestant and
Roman Catholic leaders met for the first time in
October 1990 in a "get-acquainted" session,
Kelley said. After discovering they shared a
good deal of common ground, they agreed to
meet again and focus on one issue, he said.
. Why violence?
"Very simple. It's not the economy, stupid, it's
violence," said Rabbi Gilbert Rosenthal, execu-
ANNOlJNCEMENTS n� R(.hhil·(·rump-\Id·(.�
Church begins
ou r ch program
EAST ST. LOUI , IL - Al­
though there is no Episcopal
Church in this city of 40,000 on
the east bank of the Mississippi
River, across from St. Louis,
MO. The Episcopal Diocese of
Spirngfield (IL and Missouri
are joining in an unusual ven­
ture to begin outreach work in
the revaged city.
East St. Louis is gripped by
all of the rious problems of
much larg r cities, including
hunger, homelessne 9, unem­
ployment, crime, drugs, gangs
and despair, wrote Betsy Rogers
of the Epi copal ew rvice.
Bi hop P t r B ckwith of
Springfield id, "We do hav a
r ponsibility here. I b liev
Christ is tirring u up. We want
to be a part of the work, and
cannot turn our cks on it (E
St. Louis) ny I r."
The Women' Uni ed Thank
Offering (UTO) gave a grant of
$20,000 to t the b 11 rolling,
and th Gr c Hill ighbor-
hood rvic in th Di of
Missouri, will off r r 0
help.
RA
for E
Jan. 13-16.
Meetings will be h ld at a
40,00 seat Tokyo Dome and
will be transmitted via satellite
to more than 70 loca io across
Japan.
Graham said, "J p n is on
the thr hold of a n w begin-
ning. Our mission com t
time when Prime Minister Mori­
hiro Hosokawa has chall nged
his government to focus on im­
provingthelivesoftheJ panes
people, to be less concerned
about the economy and mor
concern d about th moral en-
hment of the country."
Baptist
convention set
Delegates to the mid-wint r
board m ting of Nation 1 Bap­
tist Convention USA, In will
held Jan 17:.21 t th Bapti t
World Cent r in N hvill, T .
Dr. T. J .. J mi on of at n
Rouge, LA, is pr id nt.
M . Minter
returns to
Dext r Avenue
co-
9, Ab inian has
300 uni of housing and
100 mo . It' taking Har­
lem' long dorm nt Renaissance
Ballroom and turning it into a
catering-ballroom comp It's
lending money to merchants and
expanding programs to feed tb
hungry.
"We're just following the di­
reotionofother groups that have
gone before us," Phillips said.
o THE WEST Coast, First
African Methodi t Episcopal
Church of Los Angeles created
its Renaissance Program last
n owners.
"We suggest to the congrega­
tion that they do busi with
the company owner we just
made a loan to," Whitlock said.
,
total of eight lots. By the time
the ground was broken for the
new sanctuary (May 1980) the
congregation had sold $400,000
worth of church bonds to finance
its construction, and the corner­
stone was laid in November
1981.
To show their gratitude to
God, the members marched
around the community singing
"I Will Trust in the Lord, " while
being escorted by a police motor-
de.' lAltM glf IRe :"��'a
successful pastor and leader
that believes "All believers must
constantly examine their life­
styles based on the word of God.
We must walk by faith and not
by sight," he concludes.
REV. TROY ALLEN
Plea u th coupon to H LPF ... EDTH HUNGRY.
GL A.N R MMUNITYF DBANKwUlu your
donation to buy the ca () or rood you I ct and d tribute
them FR to over 200 member up kitchen , church
pantri ,mer ncy helters, and other feedln agenci .
----- CUT COUPON HERE - _
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. You Wi h to Donate # ITEM
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. :: '
ERS ommunity Food Bank
J Beau/ail, Detroit, MI 4 207
St. Louis will go, in part, to can­
vas neighborhoods s king in­
formation from residents on
which needs are mas pressing.
This, Rogers,said will requir
teams of workers, po sibly
graduate students and Grace
Hill staffers. Rev. Arthur
Hadley, a consultant to the pro­
ject and formerly from the Dio­
cese of Missouri said, "We have
to know what other agenci are
doing there.. we don't want to
duplicate services."
Rogers also said the grant for
East St. Louis was one of mor
than 147 gran totaling more
than $3 million warded by th
UTO in 1993.
Graham
oJ P
o
t
For mor« "'jnrmalwn ratl (,I ana a/ (31 f) Y1J.l.Ul
611 Jq
By ROBBIE CRUp.t:)-McCOY
5 eclill to the Michl an Citizen
Plans began by the late Rev.
CharI s H. Nicks Sr. at the 64-
year-old People's Baptist
Church, 3000 McDougal, has
b n carefully followed and com­
pleted by present pastor Rev.
Troy L. Allen Sr.
Rev. icks was a staunch
Christian, firm in his beliefs and
dedicat to his calling. Peopl 's
i bl �nt ��y ,'r1;OY AU!�p
i alkingin piS /� eps and,
tough a younger person, h 15
just as committed and advocates
conservatism.
Called to preside at People's
in 1978, Rev. Allen's motto is
"S MngtheTotalPerson ... a Bi­
ble Believing and Bible Teach­
ing Church." He emphasizes the
word ministry as a service
rather than an auxiliary.
So under his leadership Peo­
ple's flourished with programs
like Alcoholic Anonymous, Child
Care, Christian Education,
Hearing Impaired, Street Evan­
gelism, and Healing Ministries.
The church also has orientation
training, leadership certification
training, noon-day bible study,
prayer service, the People's In­
vestment Corporation; soup
kitchen, youth ministry, Young
Christian Workers, Scholar­
ships, and vacation bible school.
REV. ALLEN has graduated
from two colleges and his assis­
tants are Rev. Ananias Holland,
Rev. Jam Hogans and Rev.
James Summerour, Rev.
Lawrence Bobo and Rev. Syl­
vanious Giles. Rev. Allen has
baptiz d 297 new converts, led
the church in purchasing two
new vans, a highway �us and
Obituary
Services
held for
'Mary Nichols
ommunity Fun ral di­
in ch r wi h in-
I