Faith leaders launch offensive against violence
TORONTO, ON—On the heels of an unusually bloody year that left Toronto residents quaking at escalating gun and gang violence, Christian leaders began 2006 with action aimed at combating the problem.
A group of pastors representing various churches and calling themselves the GTA Faith Alliance held a prayer walk January 2, and announced their intention to find 400 mentors for at-risk youth as well as to open 70 drop-in centres and after-school programs in their churches.
From January 8 to 11, the same group hosted Eugene Rivers, the pastor credited with helping to dramatically reduce violent crime in Boston, Massachusetts through an innovative approach that included reaching out to gang members, changing supervision conditions for parolees and zero tolerance for violence.
In the midst of a visit that saw Rivers speak at more than 20 events and tour some of the GTA's most troubled neighbourhoods, the author of the "Boston Miracle" said he came to Toronto not to present a "miracle" but "a model to be tested and evaluated and to see where it applies."
Al Bowen, senior pastor of the Abundant Life Assembly in Rexdale, Ontario and one of the organizers of Rivers' visit, says he and other faith leaders have been working with young people in the community for years, but it was necessary to import Rivers to draw attention to their cause.
"While [Canadians] may have a love/hate relationship with Americans, if an American comes here, we will listen to him because he's from the States. And if he has a reputation that precedes him, then we'll listen doubly."
Citing the fact that within 24 hours of Rivers' visit he had met with "the mayor, councillors, the premier, MPs and the Toronto police chief," Bowen says there's not a single local clergyman that could achieve similar results, and do so under the scrutiny of the media.
"He's a charismatic personality. He knows how to do it. He knows how to sell what he does."
Bowen says Rivers had messages for politicians, for the black community and for the general public, but adds that he reserved his strongest message for the Church.
"To the Church he says, 'you are a powerful political force. You shouldn't belong to any party, but you need to advocate for the poor,'" relates Bowen, adding that the Church's history is that "it hides in its four walls. The church spends 90 per cent of its assets in both people time and in dollar value on itself. And it should be the other way around. We are imbalanced and we fail our Lord. We should be spending [our resources] on the poor."
The outspoken Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada pastor adds, "Everyone is salt. Everyone is light. If you are not prepared to do that, then please resign your status as a Christian and stop polluting the spiritual atmosphere of Christ's Church."
But Colin McCartney, executive director of a ministry to at-risk youth called Urban Promise Toronto, says there are a lot of Christians willing to help, but they often just don't know where to begin.
"We've been trained how to preach. We haven't been trained how to do social work," he says. Still, he is hopeful that the Church can make a difference, and says he sees a future role for the parachurch organization he leads in "bridging the gap" between desire to make a difference and actually making that difference.
"I think Urban Promise can help get people from the Church into the community through training, encouragement and coaching. We can help people role up their sleeves and get into action."
Reached on his cell phone, McCartney made the comments while enroute to a meeting with pastors from the GTA Faith Alliance to begin discussions about practical steps that can be taken to help combat violence.
Bowen says plans are underway to hold a meeting February 4 at Canada Christian College during which organizers hope to challenge 1,000 men to work within troubled urban communities.
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