Members Help Rebuild Burned Churches

The Church has contributed substantially toward the reconstruction of nearly 30 church buildings belonging to different religious denominations in the southern United States. The buildings had burned down during the past 18 months due to arson and other causes. In some cases, Latter-day Saints also donated their labor to help with cleanup and rebuilding efforts.

Local Church leaders met with the heads of several congregations to determine their needs. A Baptist minister in Alabama expressed his amazement that the Church would help his congregation rebuild even though the local Latter-day Saint congregation is still meeting in a rented storefront.

President James C. Lansing of the Richmond Virginia Stake presented an assistance check to Richmond’s Glorious Church of God in Christ. “The church representatives were gracious, kind, and appreciative,” he said. “We agreed that we are all brothers and sisters of the same God and that they would have helped out the Latter-day Saints in a similar situation. It was a very positive relationship-building experience.”

President James C. Lansing (second from right) of the Richmond Virginia Stake presented an assistance check to representatives of a burned church. (Photo by Lynn White.)