Stories tagged with: police

• Minneapolis pastor leads in peaceful protests after Floyd's death

  by Diana Chandler, posted Friday, May 29, 2020 (3 years ago)

  

  Submitted photo

  MINNEAPOLIS (BP) -- Pastor W. Seth Martin sat on guard in his front room until 3 a.m. Friday in case rioters approached his home, which is located just a block from where George Floyd was detained by police and died.

  "I would, prayerfully, if it was outside, I would petition and seek the peace for my street," said Martin, who is also a young husband and father. "I'm a black man who is grieving and this is closer to me as a black man. I would seek peace in that way, but also, I would protect my family. If peace wasn't possible, I would obviously make sure I protected my family and put them in the safest position possible." Read More

• Pastors urge prayer, Gospel outreach as outrage grows over George Floyd's death

  by Diana Chandler, posted Wednesday, May 27, 2020 (3 years ago)

  

  Screen capture from Time

  MINNEAPOLIS (BP) -- Southern Baptist leaders are lamenting the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in Minneapolis after a white police officer used a knee to pin his neck to the pavement for several minutes.

  Floyd had repeatedly said he could not breathe. Read More

• Man accused of swindling money as false church planter

  by Diana Chandler, posted Tuesday, October 08, 2019 (3 years ago)

  

  Screen capture from Memphis Fox 13

  MEMPHIS, Tenn. (BP) -- Memphis police are investigating a report accusing a man of swindling people out of money by saying he was planting a Southern Baptist church, sponsored by Bellevue Baptist Church in nearby Cordova, Tenn.

  Police are investigating an incident report filed Sept. 16 by Latoya Nicole Hare of Memphis against 22-year-old Jaycolby Marchel Robinson, according to a copy of the report Memphis Police emailed Baptist Press. Identified as additional victims are Ricquel Lanette Hull and Regina Taylor Osei. Read More

• Iowa police shootings spark prayer, ministry

  by David Roach, posted Thursday, November 03, 2016 (6 years ago)

  

  Screen capture from CNN.com

  DES MOINES, Iowa (BP) -- The murders of two Des Moines-area police officers have spurred Iowa Christians to prayer and action.

  Officer Justin Martin of the Urbandale (Iowa) Police Department and Sgt. Anthony Beminio of the Des Moines Police Department both were shot in their patrol vehicles in "ambush"-style attacks some two miles apart Wednesday (Nov. 2) shortly after 1 a.m., CNN reported. Police took suspect Scott Michael Greene into custody hours later. Read More

• El Cajon pastors urge unity after police shooting

  by Diana Chandler, posted Wednesday, October 05, 2016 (6 years ago)

  

  San Diego Times Tribune video screen capture

  EL CAJON, Calif. (BP) -- Southern Baptists are among an interdenominational group of pastors urging transparency, peace and unity in El Cajon, Calif., a week after police shot and killed Ugandan immigrant Alfred Olango, who was unarmed.

  Rolland Slade, pastor of Meridian Southern Baptist Church in El Cajon and an officer with the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, authored a statement on behalf of the East County Pastors Prayer Network that was read in Oct. 2 worship services in perhaps 40 churches. Read More

• Prayer in troubled Charlotte counters 'hurt, anger'

  by Diana Chandler, posted Thursday, September 22, 2016 (7 years ago)

  

  Screen capture from WSOC-TV

  CHARLOTTE, N.C. (BP) -- "Hurt" and "anger" have met with prayer in troubled Charlotte, N.C., where Southern Baptist pastors are praying and encouraging peace and reason amid violent protests and a declared state of emergency after the police killing of Keith Lamont Scott.

  Christians of various denominations held prayer services today (Sept. 22) and yesterday after police shot and killed 43-year-old Scott, a black man, while looking for a suspect in an unrelated incident. Charlotte policeman Brentley Vinson, also black, has been identified as the officer who fired the fatal shot among officers at the scene. Read More

• Black police conf. draws call to love officers

  by David Roach, posted Thursday, August 04, 2016 (7 years ago)

  

  Photo courtesy of Kathy Thompson

  WASHINGTON (BP) -- Following attorney general Loretta Lynch's call at a gathering of black law enforcement executives for America to "foster trust between communities and law enforcement," a black Philadelphia police sergeant told Baptist Press Christians should be known for extending the love of Christ to police officers in their communities. Read More

• 'Until He comes': Police, clergy pledge 24/7 prayer

  by Diana Chandler, posted Tuesday, July 26, 2016 (7 years ago)

  

  Photo by Diana Chandler

  HOUSTON (BP) -- Months before related shootings in three states resulted in the deaths of eight policemen and two black civilian men in July, the Houston Police Officers Union began recruiting clergy and intercessors to make Houston a city of prayer.

  The result is a prayer room established at police union headquarters in downtown Houston, where continuous prayers are planned around the clock for the city beginning in August, Union Baptist Association church consultant Rickie Bradshaw told Baptist Press. Read More

• Multiethnic church pastor: peacemaker amid violence

  by Diana Chandler, posted Wednesday, July 20, 2016 (7 years ago)

  

  Submitted photo

  BATON ROUGE, La. (BP) -- With Alton Sterling and three police officers dead amid racial tension in Baton Rouge, La., black pastor Vince Smith counts among his blessings his interracial marriage to Cassie and his pastorate of the multiethnic Circle Church.

  Smith considers himself a peacemaker comforting those who mourn, whether they have lost loved ones at the hands of police or at the hands of civilians. Read More

• Baton Rouge shooting stirs nearby churches

  by Staff/Baptist Message, posted Monday, July 18, 2016 (7 years ago)

  

  Baptist Message photo.

  BATON ROUGE, La. (BP) -- Though heartbroken from Sunday's deadly attack on Baton Rouge law enforcement officers, the community has hope for the future through Christ, said the pastor of a church mere feet away from a police barricade of the incident, which left three law enforcement personnel dead and three others wounded.

  "In the midst of our sorrow there is hope that God will redeem even this for His good purpose," said Jeff Ginn, pastor of Istrouma Baptist Church. "What Satan intends to destroy and divide, God will use to unite." Read More