Church fire investigations ongoing

Posted: 2/17/06

Church fire investigations ongoing

By Hannah Elliott

Associated Baptist Press

CENTREVILLE, Ala. (ABP)—Federal officials continue their investigation as 10 Baptist churches in rural Alabama burned in two weeks. Authorities speculated the rash of fires could be the work of two arsonists who may be “bosom buddies.”

The most recent blaze claimed the Beaverton Freewill Baptist Church, located near the Mississippi border in the northwestern part of the state. Inspectors said the fire was the work of an arsonist, and they noted witness reports about two white males in a dark-colored SUV at the scene of several of the crimes.

“They’re not youths or teens,” said Eric Kehn, a spokesman for the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agency. “It’s probably someone in their 20s or 30s. We believe they’re pretty much inseparable. They’re something like bosom buddies.”

Possible clues as to the identities of the suspects include a fingerprint from the side of a front door and a footprint found outside the back of Dancy First Baptist Church near Aliceville, The Christian Post reported. Officials also have determined that in several of the fires, the perpetrators followed the same routine—kicking in the front door of each church, setting the fire near the pulpit and escaping through the back.

Investigators said the arsonists could have set the fires in response to outside stress involving “family, relationships, work, (or) the economy.” They invited the suspects to begin a “dialogue” with them in order to reach a resolution.

To that end, locals have advertised a special phone line, post office box and e-mail address created for potential contact from the perpetrators. State and federal rewards top $10,000 for evidence leading to an arrest.

Out of the 10 fires, the latest blaze was the only one set during daylight. Possible motives for the fires seem to exclude racial hatred, since half of the churches had mostly African-American congregations, and the other half had mostly white congregations. All were Baptist, although at least three separate Baptist denominations are among the victims.

Beaverton, which has around 200 residents, lies about 85 miles northwest of Birmingham.

Rick Lance, the executive director of the Alabama Baptist Convention’s board, responded to the latest fire with a statement released through the group’s website. In it, he told the perpetrators that, despite their acts, they faced strongly committed congregations “seeking to be certain that good comes out of evil.”

Lance said while the buildings have burned, the real church consists of the people.

“Churches, like families, can go through trying times—such as what was experienced in the wave of hurricanes that battered the Gulf Coast last fall,” Lance said. “Yet there is a resilience of faith which characterizes the congregations. They personify the kind of courage and compassion I believe the Lord blesses. That is a testimony of undefeatable determination and dedication.”

The series of fires began with five small Baptist churches in rural Bibb County, Ala., about 50 miles southwest of Birmingham, the night of Feb. 2-3. The fires completely destroyed Ashby Baptist Church in Brierfield, Rehobeth Baptist Church in Randolph and Pleasant Sabine Baptist Church near Centreville. The other two churches, Old Union Baptist in Brierfield and Antioch Baptist in Antioch, sustained damage but escaped complete destruction.

Fire damaged four more rural Baptist churches in Alabama the morning of Feb. 7. The second batch of fires occurred near the Alabama-Mississippi boarder, in sparsely populated Greene, Pickens and Sumter counties, roughly 60 miles from the fires in Bibb County.

Fire completely destroyed Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church, near Boligee, and Dancy Baptist Church, near Aliceville. Galilee Baptist Church in Panola and Church Spring Valley Baptist Church near Emelle suffered some damage.

Local congregations have rallied to provide support to their sister churches. The Alabama Baptist Convention arranged a fund for donations and deployed mobile chapels so congregations can continue meeting.

Workers at Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes and Family Ministries also have offered free counseling for members of affected churches at no cost, according to The Alabama Baptist.