The Macedonia Church of God in Christ in Springfield, Massachusetts, was razed by arsonists hours after President Obama's election as the nation's first black president. Two defendants have pleaded guilty to arson in federal court and are awaiting sentencing. A third defendant will be tried this fall. They admitted harboring hatred for blacks and Hispanics and said they set fire to the church to denounce Obama's election. Christian and Jewish volunteers from as far away as California helped rebuild the facility. Commenting on the volunteers, Bishop Bryant Robinson Jr., leader of the predominantly black Macedonia church, said a small miracle was born from the ashes (RNS).
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