Churches burn; faith survives

BRIERFIELD, Ala. — Standing at a charred pulpit, the Rev. David Hand counted the blessings of his little country church on Sunday.

Fires blamed on arson hit five churches in a rural Alabama county last week, destroying three. But Hand's church, Old Union Baptist, and another house of worship had only minor damage.

"I'm just so thrilled we have a building today," Hand said to "Amens" from the 60 people gathered in the 146-year-old, wood-frame church.

Elsewhere, members of Rehobeth Baptist Church knelt in prayer beside the rubble of their church before holding Sunday school and a worship service in a nearby small fellowship building. Sitting in the parking lot was a mobile crime laboratory used by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

"Our people are rural Alabama. They're resilient. They come back strong," the Rev. Duane Schliep said in an interview.

The regional head of the ATF, Jim Cavanaugh, has said all five fires that broke out early Friday in Bibb County south of Birmingham were "obviously" arson. Agents also are trying to determine whether a sixth fire that broke out a day earlier at a church in neighboring Chilton County was arson.

Investigators said they had no suspects or apparent motive, but the FBI said it was looking at possible civil rights violations under laws focusing on attacks on religious institutions.

Ashby Baptist Church also was destroyed, so more than 110 members worshipped at another church about five miles away. They had considered gathering at the site of the burned-out building but decided against it.

"It was too cold; we got too many young 'uns. But this is great," said member Lesslie Edwards, a volunteer fire chief who helped extinguish the fire.

The Southern Baptist Convention said that it would provide financial assistance to all four member churches that were targeted, and that two mobile chapels will be brought to Bibb County. Convention officials said they would also provide monetary help to the fifth church, Pleasant Sabine Baptist, which is not a member of the local association but also was destroyed.

At Old Union, members counted themselves lucky that they had to do only a little cleaning to get ready for Sunday services. Only the front of the pulpit, a flag behind it and a small piece of carpet were damaged, church members said.

They caught the blaze in time after they heard word of the other fires.

"We know it's just by the grace of God we have a place to meet this morning," Hand said.