By Kevin Aldridge
The Cincinnati Enquirer

OXFORD TWP. - While police in this rural Butler County community are trying to find out who is behind an Oct. 18 cross-burning, six pastors are working to send the message that such acts of hate will unite, not divide, and will not be tolerated.

The pastors, who represent various denominations and churches in Oxford, have organized a candlelight vigil and service at 6 p.m. today at Martin Luther King Jr. Park near the intersection of High and Main streets. The "Faithful Response" vigil will feature prayer, speeches and information about how residents might help investigators solve the case and protect each other from similar incidents in the future.

The ministers said they felt compelled to rebut an act of hate with one of love and spiritual brotherhood.

"The cross is something we, as Christians, hold sacred," said the Rev. Logan Dysart, pastor of Faith Lutheran Church. "Our Savior died on the cross for all and that symbol unifies us. It is not something that should be used to try to instill fear and create divisions between God's children."

The vigil will take place two weeks after a cross was burned in the front yard of a home on Stillwell Beckett Road. The Butler County Sheriff's Office and the FBI are investigating the incident, but have few clues as to who is responsible.

The cross-burning case evokes memories of a mostly bygone era in the South, when nightriders set crosses ablaze as a symbol of intimidation to blacks and civil rights sympathizers. Four decades ago, Oxford hosted volunteer training for Mississippi's "Freedom Summer" voting rights movement. In fact, one Oxford-trained volunteer was among three youths slain in Mississippi during the 1964 campaign.

"You hear over and over that these sorts of things don't happen here and people don't think that way, but obviously those sentiments do exist," said the Rev. Mark Tyler, pastor of Bethel AME Church in Oxford. "I think it's up to us to show that people who think like this are a minority in this community and that the majority of us will not tolerate this kind of behavior from anyone.''

Last week, hundreds of students, faculty and residents rallied at Miami University to protest the cross-burning and a derogatory e-mail sent anonymously to a campus gay and lesbian group.

"These sorts of things can divide a community," said the Rev. Mr. Tyler, referring to the cross-burning. "But here, I think it has just galvanized people.

"Just look at us. It's brought together six ministers from the community, who normally don't get together except maybe on special occasions, in an effort to do something positive."

E-mail kaldridge@enquirer.com