“Threaten to Burn Down New Interracial Church,” Indianapolis Recorder, October 22, 1955, p. 1 – Transcript || Annotation || Archive || Back
“Threaten to Burn Down the New Interracial Church”
Threats that “we’re going to burn your church down, and get you of this neighborhood, you nigger-lovers” were made against the pastor, officials and members of the pastor, officials and members of the Peoples Temple Church, 15th and N. New Jersey, Thursday morning.
The church, which is non-denominational welcomes anyone regardless of race or color, was organized about seven months ago by leaders and laymen who opposed racial discrimination in religion as practiced in Indianapolis churches with a few notable exceptions.
Jess Parson, chairman of the deacon board of the church said the threat to “burn your church down” was received by him and another official in an anonymous telephone call Thursday morning.
He said he suspects the call was made by someone whom he knew, maybe casually, because the caller talked only in a whisper and kept repeating, “go to hell” and “get the hell out of here.”
Mr. Parson said he received a verbal threat about a month ago by a man who lives in the neighborhood in which he was advised the neighborhood would not stand for a church composed of white and colored members.
REV. JAMES JONES, the pastor told The Recorder that the church, starting with a few members now has an enrollment of approximately 500 of which about 60 are Negroes who attend regularly.
He said he and his officials dismissed previous threats as the abberations (sic!) of a crank and paid no attention to them.
Mr.Parson said the anonymous call Thursday followed the holding of a joint musical concert Wednesday night which drew a large number of Negroes to the church situated in a white neighborhood.
PARTICIPATING in the concert were the choirs of two Negro churches, St. Mark Lutheran Church and Coppin Chapel AME Church.
Rev. Jones said, as a matter of precaution, he would take the matter up with police officials.