By Beth Healy, Globe Staff

A Dorchester construction firm has filed an amended lawsuit in Suffolk Superior Court against the Charles Street African Methodist Episcopal Church and its lender, OneUnited Bank, over $629,000 in work it says it did on the churchs community center but has gone unpaid.

Thomas Construction Co. alleges that it completed 91 percent of the work at the churchs Roxbury Renaissance Center, but that it has not been fully paid due to a dispute between the church and the bank. Thomas said it has been paid $2.6 million, but that the rest has gone unpaid since October 2009. The loan had come due, and although the church received extensions, it could not get the bank to extend or refinance the loan.

That loan dispute has continued, and now the bank is trying to foreclose on a separate loan and auction off the main church building, which is near the community center. There has been a massive community and political outcry to save the historic church.

The halt to the project has put a huge drain on our firm, said Paul Hogan, vice president of operations at Thomas Construction. He said the group was hopeful that a resolution might come about now that there was broader pressure on the bank to negotiate.

Ross Martin, a lawyer for the church, said, Were in regular contact with the contractor. We understand that they had to bring a lawsuit and were working with them to resolve the situation.

OneUnited, the nations largest black-owned bank, has filed a motion to dismiss the case. The Boston institution has loaned over $500 million to families and nonprofits, including churches, in low- to moderate-income communities in Boston, Los Angeles and Miami.

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Thomas Construction amends lawsuit against Charles Street AME church

By Jason A. Baguia Cebu Daily News

Toledo City The Catholic faithfuls here are rushing to finish the church of the Blessed Pedro Calungsod before his canonization in the Vatican on Oct. 21 this year.

From a chapel made of wood and tin roof in 2006, the churchgoers are now rushing to finish the Pedro Calungsod church that sits atop a hill with a 360-degree view of the lush mountains of the city.

In 2006, the Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal approved the establishment of the parish church in the name of Calungsod whose origins was traced to the Visayas.

Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma was all praises to the Blessed Pedro Calungsod parishioners during Sundays seventh annual fiesta, which also marks the sixth anniversary of the parish in barangay Cantabaco.

I am glad to see that there have been many improvements in your church since my last visit, Archbishop Palma told a congregation of about 1,000.

He was impressed with the churchs newly tiled floors, stained glass windows depicting the mysteries of the Holy Rosary, and scenes from Calungsods life.

The rectory, flooring, sanctuary finishing, churchyard landscaping and other parts of the church have yet to see completed though.

Palma was the main celebrant of the fiestas concelebrated mass that was participated by Cebu Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Antonio Raola, Msgr. Ildebrando Leyson, Msgr. Gerardo Jumao-as.

Monsignor Leyson is one of the lead promoters of the cause for Calungsods canonization. The 94-year-old Monsignor Jumao-as along with Fr. Michael Hisoler persuaded Architect Servillano Mapeso and his wife Josephine to donate the one-hectare land where the hilltop church now sits.

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Community builds Calungsod church

Boston City Councilor Felix Arroyo, who belongs to Roxburys Charles Street AME Church, is joining a growing chorus of politicians calling on the congregations lender not to foreclose on the historic property.

Arroyo, a city councilor at large, has written Boston-based OneUnited Bank to ask the lender to halt plans to seize the church on March 22.

I clearly have a relationship with the church, but its also just the concept (of foreclosing on an historic house of worship) that I oppose, Arroyo told the Herald. This is a church that is very active not just in a moral sense, but also in the life of the city.

Charles Street AME, which dates back to 1818 and has been in Roxbury since 1939, faces foreclosure after failing to make a $1.1 million balloon mortgage payment due last fall.

The church claims it never missed a payment before, but couldnt refinance when the balloon payment came due because of a separate lawsuit OneUnited has filed.

The bank sued Charles Street AME in 2010 over a $3.6 million construction loan taken out to build an adjacent community center.

The bank cut off funding for the project in 2009, leaving construction unfinished.

The church claims thats made it impossible to hold fund-raisers, rent out the center for weddings and do other things the congregation planned to do to generate money.

Local politicians have been rallying to the churchs aid since the Herald last week first reported that OneUnited planned to foreclose.

Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino and three other city councilors have backed Charles Street AME in recent days.

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Felix Arroyo joins chorus to aid historic church

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.

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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