Aryan Nations mailing address moves from Idaho to Lincoln

Daily Home Online/October 6, 2004
By Daniel Thompson

A new post office box in Lincoln has created some stir among the city's residents.

Following the Sept. 8 death of Richard Girnt Butler, the Church of Jesus Christ Christian/Aryan Nations, moved the mailing address of the organization from Hayden, Idaho, to Lincoln, said Jonathan Williams, Aryan Nations communications director in Atlanta.

According to the organization's Web site, the address for the Aryan Nations World Headquarters is P.O. Box 151, Lincoln, Alabama 35096.

The Church of Jesus Christ Christian/Aryan Nations is an organization that teaches white supremacy.

"We believe the true children of Israel from the Bible are the white race," Williams said. "Our beliefs stem from Anglo Israelism."

At this time the organization does not have a physical address other than the post office box, and Williams would not say whether the group planned to own property in Lincoln.

"If there was a headquarters, I guess the post office box would be what it consists of," Williams said.

Some of Lincoln's residents say they are less than enthusiastic about the group's affiliation with their community.

"Anyone who professes to have a following with Jesus and bears hatred toward any group or any person is contradictory to their faith's statement," said Randy Howell, pastor of Eureka Baptist Church in Lincoln. "Jesus is the savior of all people regardless of race or class. The white race as a superior race has no Biblical, moral or even social justification."

Other people in Lincoln also expressed concern about the organization.

"I don't think they need to be around here," resident Bob Marsh said. "That's not what we're about here in Lincoln. We don't need any associations with groups like that whatsoever.

"It seems to me everybody in Lincoln gets along pretty good, and we don't need anything like that around here," he said.

Mike Spivey echoed Marsh's feelings.

"It doesn't make me feel any safer," Spivey said. "I would rather a group like that didn't have anything to do with our community.

"Any time you have a hate group like that around, you have the possibility of trouble. A lot of times people get post office boxes because they don't want people knowing who or where they are," Spivey said.

Roslyn Carter said she was not happy with the Aryan Nations' choice of having a post office box in Lincoln.

I wish they would go somewhere else," she said. "I don't appreciate what they are doing."

Charlotte Calhoun was also uncomfortable with the new location.

"It makes me feel very uneasy," she said. "They've got a reason for picking Lincoln. I'd just as soon it not be here."

Lincoln officials have taken notice of the Aryan Nations' new address.

"Of course no one can stop a person from renting a post office box anywhere," Mayor Lew Watson said. "What they represent is not what is represented by the mainstream of American life or Christian feelings."

Other officials have also noticed the group's new address.

"We are aware of their presence," Police Chief Dennis Surrett said.

Williams said that, following the death of Butler, the group started the process of naming new leadership. The "church council" will consist of four members, who were appointed by Butler prior to his death.

"The leadership council has not been named as of yet," Williams said. "A lot of us do know who they are, but those people are not making it public just as of yet. They are not solely in this area.

"In the coming weeks the church council will be named, not only to the church members, but also through some sort of public statement."

According to the Associated Press, Laslo Patterson, the Aryan Nations leader in Alabama, lives in Talladega. Williams said this information was not correct, but would not give the location of Patterson, who could not be reached for comment.