On February 10, 2006 HUD's Birmingham Field Office Director, Cindy Yarbrough and Community Planning and Development Director, Harold Cole toured churches in rural West Alabama's Black Belt that had been the recent target of arson. Ms. Yarbrough shared information with the pastors and congregations about a program that authorizes HUD to guarantee loans made by financial institutions. Such loans are to finance activities to remedy the damage and destruction to these churches caused by acts of arson or terrorism. At the same time, Field Office Director's Liaison, John Gemmill met with the pastors of four of the churches in rural Bibb County.

In less than two weeks, nine Baptist churches had been burned. Five churches were set on fire in rural Bibb County, followed by the burning of four other Baptist churches the next week. The latest Alabama church fire, another Baptist church came one week later, again in rural West Alabama. Some of the churches, rich in history and some dating back to Reconstruction were completely destroyed. Although donations have been coming in and local associations have come to the aid of these churches, people were pleased to hear that HUD administers the Section 4 Guarantee Recovery Fund. Section 4 of the Church Arson Prevention Act of 1996 authorizes HUD to administer the program. The term of the loan to be guaranteed is up to 20 years and HUD assesses no fees for its guaranty of a loan.

Many were surprised, but pleased to hear that HUD has the Section 4 loan guarantee program. Ms. Yarbrough has already begun to receive calls from churches and lenders making further inquiries about HUD can help them rebuild.

Birmingham Field Office Director, Cindy Yarbrough is surprised to find that former Greene County Housing Authority Executive Director, James Posey, is the pastor of the Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church, one of the churches totally destroyed by fire just north of Boligee in the Black Belt of Alabama.

Only the steps and a few concrete blocks remain of what was the Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church.