Thursday, January 29, 2009

Kevin leininger friend Pastor Harrison in Africa

Well, I see Pastor Harrison from Zion made his way to Africa. I wonder how long that will last.
Pastor Harrison is Kevin Leininger's friend from Zion. The Lutheran wants to get credit for brining Christ to save the black neighborhoods. Forgetting the number of African-American churches congregations are much larger than both St. Peters and Zion.

But it looks good to folks who have never visited Fort Wayne.

Renaissance Pointe, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Lutheran Housing Support provides technical assistance for this ambitious, $80 million housing initiative through two Renaissance Pointe partners — the city of Fort Wayne and Zion Lutheran Church. Plans call for building 400 new homes and renovating 100 existing residences near downtown Fort Wayne. Seeds for the city’s newest chapter in neighborhood renewal were planted in the mid-1990s when Zion and St. Peter Catholic Church led a community stabilization program that turned a decaying, crime-filled area into a tidy community with new homes for low-to-moderate income families, a Head Start program, and a bustling library. LHS President Rev. Matthew Harrison was Zion’s pastor when he helped lead Fort Wayne’s first multi-million dollar revitalization.

Zion Lutheran/St. Peter's Catholic Project, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Lutheran Housing Support provides technical support for the continuing development of the unprecedented neighborhood renewal in Fort Wayne, Ind. Zion Lutheran and Saint Peter’s Catholic churches collaborated on a 10-block revitalization effort in the La Rez and Hanna Creighton neighborhoods — an extremely blighted area where the average income is $19,120. The churches worked with the local CDC and residents to create a master development plan. In two phases, the project addresses both the physical needs and the social /cultural needs. In phase one, 27 homes are slated for construction. Seventeen are completed and have been sold.

Plans are in the works to build the remaining homes over the next two years. Fifteen owner-occupied properties have been rehabbed. Phase two also is well underway. A vista view and parking area has been created for St. Peter’s. Zion has added a $2 million addition to serve as a fellowship hall, offices and meeting space. Finley Properties purchased St. Peters Catholic School and renovated the space into senior housing. The project team acquired a city block for a new Urban League, library and Head Start campus. All of the entities are open and providing services to the community.

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