Pastors working outside church walls to reach teens and young adults

Pastors working outside church walls to reach teens and young adults to stop the violence

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At Glenwood Park in Youngstown about a dozen pastors, and folks in the community gather at a Stop the Violence Rally.

Here they pray for peace in Youngstown homes, neighborhoods, and streets.

Last year there were six or seven homicides in the first six months of the year.

This year the number of murders has almost doubled after 13 people lost their lives in Youngstown.

“We are praying because we believe in the power of prayer, and beyond our prayer we have to put our feet to the prayers, and now get on the streets where the violence takes place, in the community where violence takes place. In the neighborhoods so that we are sending a different message,” Reverend Kenneth Simon said.

“The church can’t be silent the church has to come out from behind it’s sacred walls and get in the community,” Pastor Simon emphasized.

The names of the thirteen victims were read, and candles were lit to remember lives of loved ones that ended too soon.

June 9th Te’Nya McKinnley was in the parking lot next to the park, with a group of friends when over 130 gunshots were fired into the crowd.

The goals of the 18-year student at Thiel College were to become a doctor, then a neurologist.

“We do our best to protect our kids, but they are still out in the world, you know what I’m saying. They are going to be places where we’re not with them at that moment in time. We want justice for our daughter,” her dad Tony Cochrane said.

“Just hold your baby tight. You know what I’m saying beause anymore we have school shooters. We have so much going on in this world right now,” Cochrane added.

The Pastors prayed against the spirit of violence and retaliation.

They also pray for the perpetrators to turn to Christ, put down their guns, and to stop shooting in crowds of people who gather.

There were prayers for the first responders, and police who have a very difficult job.

Meanwhile Youngstown has implemented and is enforcing an 11 pm curfew saying nothing good happens after midnight.

1/22/2024 Allen May, 23

2/04/2024 Dominique Callier, 32

2/04/2024 DeAndre Clyburn 18

2/13/2024 Tyrone Chatman, 26

2/29/2024 Deanna Summers, 29

3/20/2024 I Allen Underwood, 17

04/5/2024 Tryell Hodge, 26

5/29/2024 Raymond R. Queener, 33

6/03/2024 Kenneth Stoffer, 39

6/09/2024 Te’Nya McKinnley, 18

6/11/2024 Zariyan Dothard, 19

6/12/2024 William L. Miller, 49

6/18/2024 Angel L. Sostre, 22