Centreville, Ala.
Five rural Baptist churches, all within 10 miles of one another, were burned in one night last week. Three other churches were damaged by fire a few days later. “We don’t have any idea why anyone would want to do this,” said a parishioner at Ashby Baptist Church. “The building is gone, but our church is still all around us.” Police said they would investigate the arsons as possible hate crimes. One church in the first group, Pleasant Sabine, has a predominantly black congregation, while the others are predominantly white.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
‘But being a “hot” country does not make you a good country’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Why have homicide rates reportedly plummeted in the last year?Today’s Big Question There could be more to the issue than politics
-
Magazine printables - January 30, 2026Puzzle and Quizzes Magazine printables - January 30, 2026
