PASCAGOULA, MS (WLOX) -

It's been 19 months since fire destroyed Greater Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Pascagoula. Out of those ruins, the church is now rebuilding. Members are eager to have a permanent home to worship in again.

Pastor John Davis Sr. and congregation still recall the sadness they felt when fire tore through the Greater Antioch Sanctuary in August 2010.

"My first reaction was my Lord, what has happened," Pastor Davis said.

"I thought they were playing a joke on me," Church deacon Edwin Quave said. "Then when I came down here and saw the church was on fire, I was amazed."

Nineteen months later, Greater Antioch is now being resurrected from the ruins.Tuesday, construction crews were on the Highway 90 property, pouring concrete and putting up steel to make way for a new church.

"I was really rejoicing because we were going to rebuild."

Deacon Edwin Quave treks to the site every day to watch the new building go up.He said the church, which has been around for more than a quarter century, had becomea true staple in this community.

"We have about 1,500 members, and a lot of them are old now and can't go anyplace else, so we need a place to worship," Quave said.

Pastor Davis said when the church doors reopen; he'll be even better equipped to help the hopeless and hurting across Jackson County.

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Popular Pascagoula church rebuilds after fire

Roxburys Charles Street AME Church has won a key legal round against a bank that plans to foreclose on the historic house of worship this month.

The 194-year-old congregation has convinced an appeals court to reinstate the churchs counter-lawsuit against Boston-based OneUnited Bank.

State Appeals Judge Peter Agnes Jr. reversed a lower courts move to dismiss the churchs claims against OneUnited, which plans to seize Charles Streets property on March 22.

OneUnited has scheduled a foreclosure auction because the congregation failed to pay off a $1.1 million balloon mortgage that came due recently.

The two sides have been feuding since 2009, when OneUnited froze a second $3.6 million construction loan the church got to build a community center.

OneUnited sued Charles Street over that debt a move the church maintains made it impossible to refinance the loan on the church proper.

The congregation originally counter sued, but a lower court dismissed Charles Streets claims for lack of evidence.

However, Agnes found that the church might be able to prove the building loans terms violated state consumer-protection laws.

The judge cited the state Supreme Judicial Courts landmark 2008 Fremont decision, which found that state law prohibits mortgages that banks know from the beginning will likely end in foreclosure.

Considered in its totality, the (churchs) allegations are certainly as egregious as those involved in Fremont, Agnes wrote.

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Church's suit against OneUnited reinstated

By Beth Healy, Globe Staff

Boston City Councilor Felix Arroyo wrote a letter this week to OneUnited Bank chairman Kevin Cohee, urging him not to foreclose on a $1.1 million loan to the historic Charles Street African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Arroyo, in a letter dated March 5 and obtained by the Globe, said he was writing on behalf of his constituents and as a member of the Roxbury church. He said he urged OneUnited to take the same care and compassion that was afforded to you by the federal government when the bank received a $12 million bailout in the financial crisis.

He said the bank should meet with church officials to negotiate a mutually beneficial agreement and end these foreclosure proceedings that, if acted upon, would be an atrocity of immeasurable harm.

OneUnited has advertised plans to auction off the church property as soon as March 22.

The bank sued the church in 2010 for failing to repay $3 million on a construction loan for a nearby community center. The foreclosure threat is on the church property itself, related to a separate loan that came due in November. The bank has said its given the church ample time to meet its financial obligations.

Harvard Law Professor Charles Ogletree has offered to mediate the dispute; the banks top executives by Tuesday evening had not yet agreed to a meeting.

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Boston City Councilor Felix Arroyo urges OneUnited not to foreclose on Charles Street AME church

(John Prieto, Denver Post file photo)

Calling it the most reasonable and cost-effective option for rapid transit along the northwest corridor, Regional Transportation District staff on Monday recommended running commuter rail north to Church Ranch Boulevard in Westminster and a bus transit system the rest of the way to Longmont.

The new plan relies on a 0.4 percent sales tax increase for the metro-wide FasTracks rapid-transit system - not yet approved by the RTD board of directors - that could go on the November ballot and raise about $160 million a year.

Reaction from area officials who attended the Monday meeting of RTD's FasTracks Monitoring Committee was strong and unified: promises were made.

"Everyone is seemingly getting their stuff except us," Rep. Matt Jones, D-Louisville, told the board. "We can get rail by 2042? I'll be 98 years old."

Said Superior Trustee Debra Williams: "RTD does not have the right to usurp the voters and create a division in the northwest corridor."

The new rail and bus system would be completed by 2022.

Rail would be extended by about six miles on a line already is being built to Westminster. It leaves open a number of extensions, to be built in segments as funding allows, that eventually could extend to Longmont.

The RTD board is set to decide March 20 what to do with the northwest corridor. Its choice must be approved by the Denver Regional Council of Governments before RTD can put a tax increase before voters.

Voters initially approved a 0.4 percent sales tax in 2004 to fund FasTracks, with the guarantee of several commuter-rail lines to be finished by 2014, an estimate that later adjusted to 2020. Support was strong in Boulder County, where 64 percent of voters approved FasTracks. Voters in Broomfield and Weld counties also approved the plan.

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RTD staff recommends rail to Church Ranch, bus rapid transit to Boulder, Longmont

Violence is an ongoing epidemic and churches are not immune from the problem. Incidents of violence at places of worship are occurring at an alarming rate and their frequency will increase. As Christians we are often reluctant to act against violence, for we rely on our faith to guide and protect us. The bible tells us in Nehemiah 4:17, "Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon." As Christians we can continue to build while protecting ourselves by using a common sense approach to church safety and security.

When addressing the issue of violence in a church, it is important to remember that active shooter scenarios are just one aspect of church security. Issues such as starting a church safety team, disruptive individuals, building security, parking lot safety, money escorts, emergency action plans and children's ministry safety are some of the many aspects that churches need to address in order to provide a safe environment for their worshipers.

The Church Safety and Security Seminar will address all aspects of church safety and security, in a comprehensive, standardized and common sense approach, that will focus on "Protecting the flock," "Protecting the lambs" and "Protecting the pasture," while never losing sight of our Christian purpose.

Sheepdog Ministries is a Christ centered security and consultation church ministry created by two current Christian law enforcement officers with over thirty years of combined police experience in Southern California. The focus is a God centered approach to security consulting and training for church settings, as well as the training and mentoring of church security ministries. All proceeds from this event will benefit the Fallbrook High School and Pop Warner Football Programs.

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Church Safety and Security Seminar Offered in San Diego County

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

PARISHIONERS of the Beato Pedro Calungsod church in Barangay Cantabaco, Toledo City celebrated the last beatification anniversary of their patron saint yesterday.

The church, located on a hill, was filled to capacity with local devotees and residents from nearby villages.

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Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, who led the concelebrated mass, said the weather 12 years ago in Rome was fair just like the weather yesterday.

Our celebration today is joyful, he said, referring to the coming canonization of Calungsod on Oct. 21.

Palma reminded the people in his homily to follow the example of the Visayan martyr, who was beatified by Blessed Pope John Paul II in Rome on March 5, 2000.

Faith

He said Pope Benedict XVI has declared the year 2012 as a Year of Faith. The Catholic Church also marks the 50th year since the Second Vatican Council was convened and the 20th year since the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

This year, we hope that we give importance to faith, he said.

Excerpt from:
Parish rushes to prepare Calungsod church

By Stefanie Bainum sbainum@abcnews4.com

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) A downtown Reverend calls it a sign from above, tons of rain and little flooding at the Crosstown this past weekend. The Crosstown construction project has been underway for a few months and it already seems to be working.

This past Sunday was different than any other for Revered Randolph Miller and the parish of Nichols Chapel A.M.E Church.

"I said oh God it rained all night last night' and I wondered how will it be this morning because normally when that happened we would not have church on Sunday morning because the water would be so high," said Revered Randolph Miller. "I called one of my parishioners and she said, Pastor there is no water, come on to church'."

It's an answered prayer for many in the West Side area of downtown Charleston, as memories of flooded streets remain high.

"Then there was a time we were in the church and the water would start rising so highit would be in the cars," Reverend Miller said.

Reverend Miller has been a game player in the flooding project-- accompanying Mayor Joe Riley to the State Infrastructure Bank meeting last year to ask for the 88 million dollars to complete the Crosstown flooding project.

"I talked to them about being Moses and the flooding of the waters and Joshua crossing the Red Sea, and it looks to me that they heard me."

The bank granted the City of Charleston the funding last month.

"It's all worth it for what we received this morning,I will take it anytime," Reverend Miller said.

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Church celebrates Crosstown flooding project

Church's plan for solar park blocked by red tape

The government has hit back at claims by the Church of Greece that its plans to build a solar park have been caught up in red tape by saying that the intended site is actually public land, which is due to be reforested.

State authorities challenge the ownership rights that the Pendeli Monastery claims to have, the Environment Ministry said in a statement, which added that church officials have been informed that the land in question is listed as public forestland.

A prerequisite for the investment to go ahead is for the ownership issue to be settled, said the ministry.

The statement goes on to say that even if the ownership issue is resolved in favor of the monastery, which is located in northern Athens, then the question of whether the site in question is located is forestland also needs to be settled.

The ministry said that the state had listed the area to be reforested following several wildfires between 1998 and 2009. Once land is set aside for reforestation, the law prevents any construction from taking place. However, this rule has been broken repeatedly in the past.

The Environment Ministry went on to point out that the monastery has not applied for a license to build on the land, suggesting that the Church may have been looking for favorable treatment from the government.

A spokesman for the Church told Kathimerini on Monday that Archbishop Ieronymos had been encouraged to proceed with the plans for a solar park by previous Prime Minister George Papandreou and current Premier Lucas Papademos.

Meanwhile, Ombudsman Calliope Spanou on Monday gave a deposition to financial prosecutor Grigoris Peponis in connection to the rents paid by her organization. Peponis has launched an investigation into the rents paid by state bodies.

The Ombudsmans rent for offices owned by the Vatopedi Monastery, which is located on Mount Athos, is about 100,000 euros a month. Spanou said she has been asking since last year for the rent to be reduced but the governments Land Service, which is responsible for the negotiations, has failed to deliver yet.

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Church's plan for solar park blocked by red tape

CEBU, Philippines - Blessings keep pouring in for the couple whose faith and generosity made possible the rising of the first church dedicated to Visayan Martyr and soon to be canonized Blessed Pedro Calungsod.

The Blessed Pedro Calungsod Parish in Barangay Cantabaco, Toledo City, celebrated its sixth founding anniversary yesterday since the parish was established in Mar, 5, 2006.Yesterday was also the twelfth anniversary of his beatification.

The church, still half-complete, started only as a nipa hut in 2005 until it gradually improved into a concrete structure through the efforts of couple Servillano and Josephine Mapeso and several other benefactors that include mostly the residents of the barangay.

The lot where the Blessed Pedro Calungsod Parish now stands was donated by the Mapeso family to the Archdiocese of Cebu through a deed of donation signed by former Cebu archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal and the Mapeso couple in November 17, 2003.

Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Russel Sungcad said the church still has a long way to go especially on the roofing, ceiling, electrical wiring, the parking area, the rectory, the belfry and the landscaping.

After the canonization of our Blessed Pedro Calungsod in Rome, all celebration will be focused here. We hope that by November or December, our Archbishop can do the consecration of our beloved Parish, Sungcad said.

The existence of this church is another miracle from Blessed Calungsod because it has come into this state even with only meager resources and budget, Sungcad said.

The Blessed Pedro Calungsod Parish has now organized 16 communities and supervised 32 chapels. It covers five surrounding barangays.Sungcad recalled how the people have helped one another to gradually improve the structure. The structure is designed by Architect Servillano Mapeso, the donor of the lot.

The Mapeso family donated one hectare of their 13-hectare property in Cantabaco, Toledo City to the Archdiocese of Cebu when Msgr. Gerardo Jumao-as and Fr. Michael Hisoler came to them looking for a lot where to possibly build a house of God.

The priests offered to buy the one-hectare lot which was valued at over P1 million at the time.

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The church that rose from faith

POSTED: 11:03 pm CST March 4, 2012UPDATED: 11:04 pm CST March 4, 2012 The Islamic Center of St. Joseph soon wont be the only house of worship on its block.Right across the street, at 2407 Messanie St., rises the frame for what will be Heritage Church, according to documents from the city.City Planner Dustin Smith noted that work began on the building within the past couple of weeks. Plans for it went through the City Council and the planning commission last fall.In keeping with the characteristics of the buildings around it, the church is required to have a brick or stone facade and to be close to the front of the property line. Another red-brick building on the property will be removed.Once complete, Heritage Church will measure about 1,700 square feet.Were still kind of in the process of determining occupancy, Mr. Smith said, adding that for the time being, maximum capacity is set at 48.A representative from the church declined to be interviewed.Erin Wisdom can be reached at erin.wisdom@newspressnow.com. Follow her on Twitter: @SJNPWisdom. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.blog comments powered by

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Construction begins on Heritage Church