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April 4, 1968 MEMORANDUM To: Mayor Ivan Allen, Jr . From: Dan Sweat Subject: Clergymen's Conference I met with representatives of the Atlanta Christian Council this morning to discuss followup on the suggested meeting the Clergy of Atlanta wants to hold to help get further understanding of and involvement in the problems whieh face the city. The idea of the ministers is to have a meeting which would include the religious leadership from the five county area, th elected political l adership, top business, labor nd education. In effect, they are talking about an Urban Coalition type m es meeting of the top leadei.-ship. They are speaking in term of from 500 to 1,000 persons. What apparently prompted this int r st on the part of th Clergy wa Al Bow speech to them. It is now f lt that Mr. Bows h put th Cl rgy on the spot and there is fear that the busin ss community h s gott n out head of the religious community. Th mini t rs who re hehind thi movement £ l th t th time l at hand to encour ge some of th more timid mini t r , partlcul rly in th ubuJ'b , to g t moving. They feel th t if these mini t rs can ee wh t ome of the busine community is doing and ying, people lik �Mayor Allen Page Two April 4; 1968 Bows, Paul Austin, Sterne, etc., that they won't feel they're risking their necks or their pulpits by getting involved in the "urban problems" . We have tentatively settled on May 6 as the date for the dinner and would like to issue an invitation to John Gardner. The prog:ram would consist of "rip-snorting" speeches from you, Paul Austin, John Gardner and a key religious figure. The ministers I committee will be in to talk to you about it, present their ideas and get any suggestions you might have on Wednesday at 2:30 p. m. DS:fy �