Boston black leaders plan to travel to Los Angeles next week to push minorities there to boycott OneUnited Bank over its plans to foreclose on Roxburys historic Charles Street AME Church.

We stand here today ... calling upon the black community to withdraw every dime they have in OneUnited Bank until they have worked out their differences (with the church), the Rev. Eugene Rivers III said yesterday at a protest convened outside the banks Grove Hall branch to launch the boycott.

In a week or so, (we) will be going to Los Angeles to meet with black church leaders (there) to organize the boycott until OneUnited Bank comes to the table, Rivers said.

Boston-based OneUnited which has branches in Massachusetts, California and Florida plans to foreclose on Charles Street AME next week.

The black-owned bank is taking action because the 194-year-old congregation failed to pay off a $1.1 million balloon mortgage that came due in December.

The overwhelming majority of our community lives up to their financial responsibilities, OneUnited said in a statement.

Charles Street says it would have refinanced into a new loan, but couldnt because of a long-running legal feud with OneUnited.

The bank sued the church in 2010 over a $3.6 million construction loan that the congregation took out to build an adjacent community center.

OneUnited cut off funding in 2009, leaving the project unfinished and the church unable to raise money to pay off the debt.

Yesterday, U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano (D-Somerville) and Boston City Councilor Tito Jackson joined ministers in calling for the boycott.

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Bank, church fight escalates

PROVO -- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced plans Thursday to construct a new state-of-the art building at the center of the Missionary Training Center campus. The new building will replace the Melvin J. Ballard Building, which will be demolished as part of the construction process.

The LDS Church has several major ongoing building projects in Utah County including a large multi-stake complex at 300 N. and 900 East, the $90 million science building at Brigham Young University, the Downtown Provo Temple and the Payson Temple among others.

MTC representative Richard Heaton indicated that the LDS Church had yet to file for a building permit Thursday. However, they will hold a neighborhood meeting at 6 p.m. March 22 at the Rock Canyon Elementary School gymnasium, 2405 N. 650 East.

"We want to be good neighbors," Heaton said. Church representatives will be on hand to discuss the project.

Neighborhood chairman R. Paul Evans encouraged residents to attend and give their opinion. He said some in the area are not thrilled with the nine-story building.

"We would like to see two five-story buildings rather than one nine-story," he said. "This will be the only meeting held on the matter."

According to a news release from the Church, the Melvin J. Ballard Building has served as home to the MTC bookstore, the MTC mailroom, the training resource center and four large-group meeting rooms. During the demolition and subsequent construction process, the bookstore and mailroom will be moving into the soon-to-be-completed east wing of the Jacob Hamblin Building.

While the existing Ballard Building has two floors above grade, the new building is designed to have several more floors above grade. The new building will house classrooms equipped with modern technological resources.

The ground on which the MTC sits is already zoned for the proposed building. Because the new building will be built in the center of the Missionary Training Center campus, no adverse impact is anticipated for the surrounding neighborhoods throughout the construction process.

However, Missionary Training Center representatives will be available to area residents to answer questions and address concerns as the changes take place.

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LDS Church announces nine-story building at MTC

An employee of Beth-Allen Scaffold & Equipment out of Allentown moves a plank of scaffolding on the sixth level on the tower at St. Matthew Lutheran Church on Wednesday afternoon.

(THE EVENING SUN CLARE BECKER)

St. Matthew Lutheran Church is beginning a $1.3 million construction project that could take several years to complete.

The project at the 90-year-old Hanover church is divided into two phases, and construction for the first phase started Tuesday, Pastor Dan Yeiser said. The work is being done for safety reasons and to keep the building on Chestnut Street in good shape.

"We're just trying to preserve and enhance it for ourselves and for future generations that pass through the hallways," Yeiser said.

The first phase includes restoration of the north side of the tower, which started Tuesday with the erection of scaffolding. Yeiser said that work could take two weeks to complete.

After Easter, the second

A worker monitors the materials being elevated to the upper scaffolding levels on Wednesday outside of St. Matthew Lutheran Church on Chestnut Street in Hanover. (THE EVENING SUN CLARE BECKER )

The construction will not interrupt any services at the church.

The last time the church received renovations was in 2000, and that was mostly for the interior, Yeiser said.

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Hanover church begins restoration

By Nikki Gaskins ngaskins@abcnews4.com

GEORGETOWN, S.C. (WCIV) -- Five months after a Georgetown church was destroyed by fire, members broke ground on a new building to be located on High Market Street.

"This is an enjoyable day for us to have a groundbreaking and to have our new church being built," said excited church member, Terry Fulton.

Janette Graham, a long time Georgetown native who lives by the location of the new church, agrees.

"It's wonderful. It's really nice," she said.

Last October, a fire destroyed their original building located on Winyah Street. Ever since, members have held service at neighboring church, Duncan Memorial United Methodist.

"They have a little chapel that we're using," said Fulton.

The new church will sit just blocks away from the original site. According to the church's pastor, the total price tag for the land and building adds up to $1.8 million dollars.

"The church is going to be 20,000 square feet--the church and the family life center. And we're going to have parking all around, a walking trail," said Rev. Carl Anderson.

Anderson says construction is expected to begin March 20th on the 3.1 acres of land.

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Church members work to rise from the ashes

14 March 2012 Last updated at 13:15 ET By Huw Williams BBC Scotland reporter

It's been called Grand Designs meets Scrapheap Challenge.

But for me it's more like what could have happened if Stig of the Dump or Uncle Bulgaria had been ministers of the Kirk.

Colston Milton Parish Church is fund-raising, to put up a new building and community centre. Nothing too unusual about that, you may think. But it's going to be built of recycled rubbish.

To be specific: four tonnes of beer cans; a dozen redundant shipping containers; 300 industrial pallets; and 500 used car tyres.

But they're starting small.

There's something deeply right that in God's economy nothing - from people, to time, to materials, to resources - is wasted

Work is starting on the first building that'll go up on the site - an "energy awareness hub".

It'll be based in two containers - the sort of thing that's used to ship goods around the word.

They've reached the end of their useful life, and were due to go for scrap. But they're finding a new life - perhaps been born again? - hosting a small exhibition on how to reduce your carbon footprint.

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Building Glasgow's rubbish church

For the members of Central Schwenkfelder Church in Worcester, the idea of building a Community Center for the congregation and community has been in the works for nearly 40 years.

However, the dream became a reality in September of 2011 and on Saturday the community was welcome to learn about Central Community Center and experience its amenities themselves during an open house.

The idea of building this center was talked about when I was a kid here, said Lauren Rieger, a member of the congregation since she was 2 years old. Although I didnt get to use it when I was a kid, I get to see it in good use with my boys who are ages 13, 9 and 5. It is a fabulous place.

The 17,000 square-foot facility sits behind the church on Steelman Road and provides services to church groups, sports clubs, local musicians and much more.

About three or four years ago the church really started talking about making this wish a reality, said Central Schwenkfelder Church Activities Coordinator Juli Apple. At such a tough economic time, we wanted to make sure we were able to do this without financing the building.

A community center committee was created and the group decided to press forward with their planning if the church was able to support 80 percent of the funds after submitting for permits within the township and county.

A combination of faith and dedication came together as church member Allen Koehler described it, stating that the church was able to collect $1.7 million in less than a year to complete the project.

The church, community, friends and family all came together to make this happen, Koehler said. God will use this in many different ways.

Koehler, whom the building is dedicated to, is correct about the building being used for many groups, including the churchs youth ministries, the YMCA Lansdale branch, Towamencin Youth Association, Montgomery County Special Olympics and CAL Sports Academy. Continued...

The Central Community Center contains a multi-sport gymnasium, two classrooms, a lounge and kitchenette.

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VIDEO: Central Schwenkfelder Church invites public to see new community center

Posted: Wednesday, March 14, 2012 9:00 am | Updated: 4:57 pm, Tue Mar 13, 2012.

Completion of the new sanctuary at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Washington is months away.

The Rev. Mark Bangert, who has served as pastor of the church since 1992, told The Missourian Monday that the building should be completed by the end of June or midsummer.

The exterior work is mostly finished with the exception of spires that match the existing church that still need to be delivered and placed, the Rev. Bangert said.

The new entrance to the sanctuary will be located on the south side near the parking lot and will have a covered entrance, the pastor said.

The western wall of the new sanctuary on the main level will stand 51 feet tall, but the inside finished height will be about 43 feet.

Drywall on the inside of the church is nearly done, he said, and crews are starting work on painting the walls and ceilings.

There will be new art for the sanctuary as well as a new stained-glass window above the altar.

Also old stained glass is being rehabbed and will be used in the new church, he said.

Additionally, two new statues on the outside of the building will be placed.

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New Immanuel Lutheran Church Sanctuary to Be Completed by Midsummer

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8055 Genea Way #5, Falls Church, VA 22042 - Video

One of Santa Barbaras most distinctive buildings is the beautiful stone edifice at 1500 State Street, the home of Trinity Episcopal Church. Founded in 1866, the Episcopal congregation was the second Protestant denomination to hold regular services in Santa Barbara, after theCongregationalists.

Trinity EpiscopalChurch

There was no call for Protestant churches in Santa Barbara during the Spanish and Mexican eras; the population was united in the Roman Catholic faith. The few Americans who did settle here invariably converted to Catholicism if they wished to marry or own land. In the 1850s, the number of Protestant newcomers slowly grew in the aftermath of the Gold Rush and California statehood. The first Protestant sermon preached in Santa Barbara appears to have been by the Rev. Adam Bland, a Methodist circuit rider, in1854.

The first Episcopal service took place on December 16, 1866, in the county courthouse, the former John Kays adobe, located in the same block where the courthouse is today. The name Trinity was bestowed upon the church the following March, reportedly at the suggestion of a parishioner who had attended an Episcopal church of the same name in New York City. The early membership roll of the church contained many familiar names, such as W.W. Hollister, Charles Fernald, Russel Heath of Carpinteria, and ship captain Martin Kimberly, to name just afew.

It soon became apparent that new quarters were needed. In September 1868, the parish held a fair to raise money to build a church in the first block of East Gutierrez Street on a lot donated by parishioner Samuel Brinkerhoff. The highlight of the fair was undoubtedly the serving of ice cream, a food heretofore unknown in the city. A loan fleshed out the building fund and, although the church was not quite finished, the first service was held there on Christmas Day 1868. It was the first Protestant church building in SantaBarbara.

Additional construction occurred in the early 1870s, but controversy arose. John Cornell, appointed rector in September 1873, did not approve of raising money by holding fairs and throwing parties. When it became apparent the congregation felt otherwise, he resigned after only five months inoffice.

The arrival of the Southern Pacific to Santa Barbara in 1887 marked the beginning of a new era for Trinity. The tracks went down the middle of Gutierrez, right past the church doors, and the resulting noise, dust, and smoke convinced parishioners to pull up stakes. The building was sold, and a new redwood church with a 120-foot steeple arose where the public library sits today at Anacapa and Anapamu streets. The congregation continued to grow, numbering more than 200 by the early1900s.

Misfortune struck before dawn on December 20, 1903, when the church burned to the ground. Services were held later that day at the nearby Elks Hall. Funding for a new church moved forward slowly; not until 1912 did construction begin. In the interim, services took place in the churchs Sunday School building. Two Pasadena architects designed a magnificent native sandstone structure at 1500 State Street. The building cost $54,000, and the debt was not paid off until1919.

The earthquake of June 29, 1925, virtually demolished the stone church. Once more, the congregation dedicated itself to rebuilding and renewal. The result was todays Trinity Church, a triumph of the spirit andfaith.

Michael Redmon, director of research at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum, will answer your questions about Santa Barbaras history. Write him c/o The Independent, 122 W. Figueroa St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101.

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Trinity Episcopal Church Origins

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

THE Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has teamed up with the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) to provide transitional houses to victims of Tropical Storm Sendong in Cagayan de Oro.

Representatives of the groups signed a memorandum of agreement last week and agreed to pledge a hefty amount of $350,000 for the construction of decent temporary houses.

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Joe Curry, country representative of CRS Philippine Program, said most of the needs of the survivors like permanent shelters, food and clothing were already addressed by the government and other non-government organizations.

He said what they lack now is a dignified and convenient temporary shelters where they can stay while waiting for their permanent houses to finish.

We decided to provide them with transitional houses made of light materials in a 16 square meter land that will be constructed in three to four days for them to live conveniently, Curry said.

He said those presently living in evacuation centers will be prioritized for the temporary shelters.

Benson Misalucha, area welfare services manager of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said the CRS will manage the project while they will provide for the materials and manpower.

Misalucha said those who can avail of the temporary shelters will not be chosen based on religion but those who really needs the transitional house.

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Church of Jesus Christ teams up with Catholic Relief Services to help storm survivors