Members of Columbine Baptist Church take notes during Bible study on March 19 in the Littleton area. George Abbas took over as pastor of the 38-year-old church six months ago, and led it through a rezoning process in order to get an elevator installed on the property. (Anya Semenoff, YourHub)

JEFFERSON COUNTY A strange thing happened when leaders from Columbine Baptist Church tried to get a permit to put in a new elevator: They were were told no because their land was not zoned properly.

Odd as that might sound for an organization that's been active for the past 38 years in a 73-year-old structure at 5660 W. Coal Mine Ave., the small church had to have its land rezoned March 18. Jefferson County also vacated a 10-foot piece of land to allow the church to keep its sign.

The rezoning not only allows the church to build its elevator and complete a minor add-on to the building's entrance, it also protects the building in case something ever happens to the church.

Pastor George Abbas Jr. holds up a Bible during prayer and Bible study on March 19. (Anya Semenoff, YourHub)

"If something devastating happened to the church, we couldn't rebuild it and likely the insurance company wouldn't stand up," Pastor George Abbas said.

The elevator is necessary for the church, Abbas said, because many of its 60 or so members are getting on in years. The suggestion was made and approved prior to Abbas' arrival as pastor in September.

The average age of church members is about 68, but Abbas said they are working to get some younger members.

"We are a small group," Abbas said. "We're working on that and trying to grow."

The seed for the zoning issue was planted about 20 years ago when Jefferson County changed what was allowed in certain zoning designations. According to Jeffco transportation and development director Jeanie Rossillion, the residential designation the church had had allowed for structures such as churches, but that was changed in the early 1990s.

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Columbine Baptist Church forced to rezone land to construct elevator

A church along Oak Hill Road in Evansville speaks out, after several cars decide to cut through their lawn to avoid construction. The damage leaves deep ruts in the ground, and is causing the church to lose their patience. Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church says they have reached out to police and the Oak Hill Neighborhood Association for help.

Moving to the Tristate to be the new Pastor at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Evansville, Pastor Rebecca Grate, already faces a bump on and off the road. "They don't teach you what to do in your very first perish, about what to do when people drive through your yard," says Grate.

For about a year, Oak Hill Road, in Evansville has been under construction. In March, workers blocked off access from the road in front of the church, to Lynch road. The church says people are avoiding the nearby detour, and making their own path by cutting right through the church's property. It's putting their new pastor in a rut. "It's been this winding road to find out the proper way to deal with things, and wanting to be nice because we are a church, but we've had ground damage. We actually need to do something about this," says Grate.

"It's very rude, and frankly, we thought the behavior was just incredible," says church member Sharon Wilson. She shows us the damage. Wilson says one driver got stuck, and asked for the church to help him out. "Be respectful of others property, and not to be arrogant to think your the only one who's time and effort means anything." Wilson says some even try to go around the back of the building. "Inconvenience is one thing, because you know the project will end, but when it's destruction of your personal property, or could injure the people on your property, that's a different story."

The church has received help. The construction company for Oak Hill Road laid down telephone poles as barriers, and have used their equipment to block traffic. The church still asks drivers not make their yard, your highway. "You are all welcome to come here and join our activities, but we would really like it if you would not drive on our grass."

The church hopes this is the last of the damage. They have decided to wait until construction wraps up to see how much the damage will cost to repair.

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Drivers Tear Through Local Church's Property

Albany

As a supermarket rises where Watervliet's historic St. Patrick's Church once stood, a midlevel appeals court heard arguments Wednesday about issues surrounding the sale of the church in 2012.

At the heart of the case is who has legal standing to decide the fate of the church. Under the New York's Religious Corporation Law, a church corporation has that role.

But Citizens for St. Patrick's contends that its members who donated money to repair the church's copper roof with a promise that St. Patrick's would stay open have the needed legal standing to contest any sale of the property of the church.

St. Patrick's Church of West Troy, a corporation affiliated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, sold the 3.5-acre site with the church and related buildings to PCP Watervliet LLC, a subsidiary of the Nigro Companies, on Dec. 31, 2012.

The citizens group sued unsuccessfully to overturn acting state Supreme Court Justice Kimberly A. O'Connor's approval of the Dec. 31, 2012 sale of the church for $1 million.

The church was torn down in 2013.

On Wednesday before the Appellate Division of state Supreme Court, Rosemary Nichols, the attorney for the citizens group, said state law pertaining to nonprofit organizations should apply in giving the group standing in legal matters.

Nichols was questioned repeatedly Wednesday by Presiding Justice Karen K. Peters as to why a fraud lawsuit was not pursued.

Nichols replied that such a suit would not have been expedient.

Continued here:
Church case lives on in the courts

DURANT Senior Pastor Joe Zaino of Pleasant Grove Assembly of God sees the long-awaited construction of a new sanctuary as the start of a new chapter for the 115-year-old church.

The building, being constructed with the help of volunteers, is expected to be completed in about a year at the church, 7051 Turkey Creek Road.

The old sanctuary was first built in 1899 as a pavilion with a roof and columns that could sit up to 400 people. People would come from across the country and stay for a week at a time on the churchs 39-acres, attending camp meetings and revivals featuring messages from prominent Assembly of God ministers of the day.

Over the years walls and additional rooms were added to the pavilion to form a sanctuary, but the building became unusable and was demolished in 2003.

The fellowship hall has housed the services for 12 years.

We fixed it up the best we could, Zaino said. We can get about 150 chairs in there but theyre (the congregation) ready to go into the new sanctuary.

Zaino said their congregation consists predominantly of senior citizens and retirees and raising the money for a new sanctuary, while a long held wish, has been difficult.

Theyre 100 percent supportive of everything, Zaino said. For many of these people, this has been their church for their whole lives.

The first phase of the sanctuary construction began in January when the church partnered with Mobilization and Placement Service (MAPS), a missions organization that builds churches, schools and youth centers for the Assembly of God denomination. The builders, all retired professional contractors, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, and engineers, work on a volunteer basis.

These guys are quite a blessing, Zaino said. These men will save us at least $300,000.

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New sanctuary in works for historic church

Albany

As a supermarket rises where Watervliet's historic St. Patrick's Church once stood, a midlevel appeals court heard arguments Wednesday about issues surrounding the sale of the church in 2012.

At the heart of the case is who has legal standing to decide the fate of the church. Under the New York's Religious Corporation Law, a church corporation has that role.

But Citizens for St. Patrick's contends that its members who donated money to repair the church's copper roof with a promise that St. Patrick's would stay open have the needed legal standing to contest any sale of the property of the church.

St. Patrick's Church of West Troy, a corporation affiliated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, sold the 3.5-acre site with the church and related buildings to PCP Watervliet LLC, a subsidiary of the Nigro Companies, on Dec. 31, 2012.

The citizens group sued unsuccessfully to overturn acting state Supreme Court Justice Kimberly A. O'Connor's approval of the Dec. 31, 2012 sale of the church for $1 million.

The church was torn down in 2013.

On Wednesday before the Appellate Division of state Supreme Court, Rosemary Nichols, the attorney for the citizens group, said state law pertaining to nonprofit organizations should apply in giving the group standing in legal matters.

Nichols was questioned repeatedly Wednesday by Presiding Justice Karen K. Peters as to why a fraud lawsuit was not pursued.

Nichols replied that such a suit would not have been expedient.

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St. Patrick's court case outlives Watervliet church

VATICAN CITY - The Vatican removed a German bishop on Wednesday because he spent 31 million euros ($43 million) of Church funds on an extravagant residence when Pope Francis was preaching austerity.

It said the atmosphere in the diocese of Limburg had become such that Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst could no longer carry out a "fruitful exercise" of his ministry there.

Tebartz-van Elst, dubbed the "bishop of bling", had been ordered to stay out of his diocese temporarily last October during a local Church investigation and audit of cost over-runs. He offered his resignation at the time.

A statement said the Vatican department that oversees bishops had now studied the investigation's findings and accepted his resignation.

The 108-page report for the German Bishops' Conference said Tebartz-van Elst had demanded that all those involved in the project should observe "strict secrecy" about its costs.

It said the accounting and construction procedures used "a system that was not transparent either to the diocese or the public", adding that the bishop "alone must also carry the full responsibility" because he did not share information.

Another prelate, Monsignor Manfred Grothe, has been appointed to run the diocese as an administrator on the Vatican's behalf for the time being and a position will be found for Tebartz-van Elst in due course, the Vatican said.

Pope Francis has been urging Church officials around the world to live simpler lives and to get closer to the poor.

He has several times told bishops not to live like princes and has renounced the spacious papal apartments in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace for much more modest quarters in a Church guest house.

IRRITATION

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Vatican removes German 'bishop of bling'

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PANAMA CITY - A construction project at a downtown Panama City church came to an abrupt halt Tuesday after an accident involving the workers. Investigators say the two men were repairing the bell tower at First Baptist Church on Harrison Avenue when they fell on a power line.

Lynn Vannocker was driving to her Harrison Avenue travel agency around 8 A.M. Tuesday when she saw something unusual.

"Saw the firetrucks, saw the police officers, and just really didn't know what was happening. So like everyone else, we just stopped and asked," said Vannocker.

Panama City police say two employees with Quality Plus Services were completing concrete repairs on the First Baptist Church tower, when the project took a turn for the worst.

While construction crews were lowering the scaffolding from one level to another, they lost control and ended up making contact with a power line.

Panama City police and firefighters reached the men on the scaffolding. They had to perform CPR on one of them, who went into cardiac arrest.

The other was suffering from 3rd degree burns. They lowered the men to the ground, where paramedics took them to Bay Medical Sacred Heart.

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First Baptist Church Construction Project Halted After Two Workers Hurt

Published: Monday, 3/24/2014

BY MARK REITER BLADE STAFF WRITER

Ann Berkebile Baither, an Ottawa Hills resident who was a volunteer at St. Michaels in the Hills Episcopal Church and past board member of Sunset House, died Saturday in Lakes of Monclova Health Campus in Monclova Township. She was 83.

She died from complications following a cardiac procedure she received about two weeks ago, according to her daughter, Martha B. Conrad.

Mrs. Baither grew up in South Toledo and lived most of her adult life in Ottawa Hills. She belonged to the Garden Club in the village, was a member of the Altar Guild at St. Michaels Church, and served on the board at Sunset House, Mrs. Conrad said.

She was born Aug. 7, 1930, in Toledo to Elizabeth and Orris Berkebile. Her grandfather, John H. Berkebile, was a prominent Toledo building contractor who directed the construction of many landmark structures, including Scott and Waite high schools, the former Willys-Overland Motors Inc., and numerous other schools and churches.

He entered the business in 1888 with Henry J. Spieker and held the title of president from 1914 to 1922. During that time, the old Toledo Edison Building, the Toledo Museum of Art, the old Toledo Public Library, the Toledo Club, and Collingwood Presbyterian Church were built by the firm. He left Spieker and organized his own general contracting company with his son, Orris Berkebile, in 1922 under the name of J.H. Berkebile and Sons.

Mrs. Conrad said her mother was very proud about the landmarks that were constructed under the direction of her father and grandfather.

Mrs. Baither graduated in 1948 from Maumee Valley Country Day School. She attended Stephens College in Columbia, Mo., and transferred to Indiana University in Bloomington.

While at IU, she met James D. Greek. They were married on Nov. 10, 1951. Mr. Greek, who was a purchasing agent for AP Parts Corp., died in a car accident on the Indiana Turnpike near Angola on Oct. 1, 1957.

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Ann Berkebile Baither [1930-2014]; Church volunteer also horse enthusiast

03/25/2014 09:42 INDONESIA West Java, Islamists block construction of a Catholic Church by Mathias Hariyadi Fundamentalists target Church of St. Stanislaus Kostka in Cibubur, Bekasi regency. The local court points to danger of sectarian violence", gives in to intimidation and stops the project. The priest presents all of the necessary permits and confirms: "The construction will continue, so far 70% of the structure built".

Jakarta (AsiaNews) - Under pressure and intimidation from Islamic extremists, a civil court in West Java revoked the building permit - the infamous Izin Mendirikan Bangunan, IMB - for the Catholic Church of St. Stanislaus Kostka in Cibubur, Bekasi regency. During the hearing, a crowd outside the courtroom threatened the judges, shouting that their demands be met. The president of the court Edi Firmansyah decided to revoke that permission to avoid episodes of "sectarian violence" between different religious communities. This is just the latest episode in a long series of violations and abuses of religious freedom, which have characterized the recent history of Indonesia since the end of the Suharto regime. The phenomena have increased in recent years under the Yudhoyono presidency. The Head of State is accused of being overly soft with Islamic extremists.

Judges of the Pengadilan Tata Usaha Negara (PTUN) - the local administrative court - revoked the permit issued in 2012 by the Bekasi mayor Rachmat Effendy. The ruling is the result of a lawsuit brought by Islamic extremist groups in Jatisampurna in a class action with other groups from several other cities in West Java.

The new church was built under the patronage of the parish of Saint Servatius of Tongeren , in Kampung Sawah , approximately 10 km from the area of construction. Speaking to AsiaNews, the parish priest Fr. Rudianto explains that he followed all the legal procedures to obtain the IMB: "All procedures were properly done and all parties were also involved. We have all recorded videos to prove that nothing wrong or 'illicit' gestures have been exercised". He also accuses extremist groups, which have opposed the construction of the church of "hostile acts" against the Christian community, fomenting riots and divisions in society.

Local sources said that there is a progressive increase of tensions in the area, with dozens of extremists ready to "seal" the construction site, the building is still under construction and about 70% of the overall structure has been completed, as confirmed by the parish priest Fr . Rudianto . The project will go ahead, he adds, because the judgment that annulled the IMB has not imposed the halting of the project.

Indonesia is the most populous Muslim nation in the world. Increasingly however, it has become the scene of attacks or episodes of intolerance against minorities, whether they are Christians, Ahmadi Muslims or belong to other faiths. Aceh is the only Indonesian province where Sharia (Islamic law) is enforced, yet, in many other areas of the country, a more radical and extreme vision of Islam is spreading among ordinary Indonesians.

Certain rules such as the infamous building permit have been used to prevent the construction of Christian places of worship or stop construction already underway, as was the case for the Yasmin Church in West Java. Catholics are a small minority of about seven million, or 3 per cent of the population. Although the country's constitution recognises religious freedom, Catholics have been the victims of violence and abuse.

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the Yasmin Church