(Reuters) - An man who was a member of a historic black church in Mississippi that was burned and spray-painted with the words "Vote Trump," has been arrested in the case, authorities said on Wednesday.

The Greenville church was set ablaze a week before the Nov. 8 U.S. presidential election, leading officials initially to view it as a politically motivated hate crime.

Andrew McClinton, 45, was charged with arson of a place of worship for the fire at the Hopewell Baptist Church, said Warren Strain, a spokesman for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety.

McClinton, who is African-American, was a member of the church, said Kenya Collins, a spokeswoman for the city of Greenville.

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, which is part of the Public Safety Department, did not say what led authorities to McClinton or speculate about his motive.

Mississippi State Fire Marshal Mike Chaney said in an interview: "At this point we do not believe it was a politically motivate