The Burned Churches Fund is one of numerous funds set up around the country to assist churches targeted by arsonists.

The fund has been established by the National Council of Churches through the Arizona Bank. Donations can be made at any Arizona Bank branch.

The National Council of Churches of Christ of the USA, established in 1950, is an organization made up of 33 religious denominations with a total of 52 million members.

This fund is raising money to assist churches. The first group of grants, totaling more than $900,000, was announced July 23.

The funds were given to nine, predominantly African-American churches in six states.

As of July 30, the fund had raised $8.3 million in cash and donations of goods and services, said Carol Fouke of the NCC.

Fouke said the increase in church burnings beginning since 1994 caught the group's attention.

"There has been a general climate of hate in this country," said Fouke. "There has been a strengthening of the white supremacist movement; coded attacks in the form of welfare reform, cutbacks in affirmative action, and with a tighter economy, many people are scapegoating and blaming others for their own insecurities."

The success of the fund may indicate a change in the trend. Fouke said another group of funds will be announced any day now.

Paul Eppinger, director of the Arizona Ecumenical Council, said his group has been trying to do its part to assist in the fund-raising effort.

"We have invited churches all over the state to pray for the burned churches," Eppinger said. "If possible, we have asked them to send donations directly to the National Council of Churches."

The organization also does disaster relief through its Church World Service. The group is currently monitoring the military coup in Burundi, where tension between the Hutu and Tutsi is a problem as it is in neighboring Rwanda. Last year, scores were killed in ethnic violence in Rwanda.