February 3, 2005
by Alexa Smith

LOUISVILLE – A young New York man was arrested today and charged with sending a letter to denominational officials threatening Presbyterian Church (USA) congregations with arson.

Jeffrey A. Winters, 25, of Queens, NY, was arrested "without incident" after a search of his apartment, according to the Kentucky Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). He is charged with interstate communication of a threat to injure another person.

If convicted, Winters could be sentenced to five years in jail and fined up to $250,000.

The arrest is tied to an anonymous handwritten letter received at the Presbyterian Center on Nov. 9 threatening "arson attacks against Presbyterian Churches with people inside" and accusing the denomination of anti-Semitism.

Several menacing letters have arrived in Louisville, including one this week.

Late this afternoon, the denomination's stated clerk, the Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick told reporters: "We are grateful that this threat against our churches has been eased and appreciate the work of the FBI in this matter. At the same time, we need to be in prayer for Mr. Winters and for the peace and well being of Israelis, Palestinians and all the people of the Middle East."

Kirkpatrick also released a letter to synods and presbyteries.

Although no PC(USA) churches were harmed despite the threats, Kirkpatrick said that congregations in New York City and others throughout the northeast were anxious after the contents of the November letter were made public. Although the letter had no return address, it bore a Queens, NY, postmark.

Replete with a swastika, it read, "I promise violence against Presbyterian Churches – They will go up in flames, bet your ass that's a terrorist threat."

It set a Nov. 15 deadline for the church to "reverse" its Middle East policies "or else."

In early July, the denomination's top legislative body authorized church agencies to pressure corporations that earn profits from the Israeli occupation of the West Bank – or from violence by Israelis or Palestinians – to change their business practices. It endorsed targeted divestment from those multi-national companies as a last resort.

The decision elicited condemnation from the U.S. Jewish community.

PC(USA) officials were aware of no link between Winters and the denomination at press time.

Presbyterian News Service