"a Wake Up Call" Unity Prayer Walk

June 30, 2009 - PRLog -- The Stop the Funeral Initiative, formed shortly after a young lady was shot and killed at a funeral here in Goldsboro, is a collaborative effort of Rebuilding Broken Places, CDC, The Goldsboro/Wayne Branch-NAACP, and the Wayne County Faith Community. The initiative’s co-conveners, Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, NC NAACP President and Rev. Dr. Dwight B. Cannon, NC Religious Affairs Chair anticipate more than 40 Covenant Partner churches will participate at the walk which will be held in Lincoln Homes at 8:00AM.

Last year our prayer walk through Fairview Park was tremendous.  Bishop A.W. Slater, Tehillah Church Ministries, the organizer of this year’s walk said, “We will begin gathering at 7:30 AM at First African Baptist Church and will walk and pray for peace throughout our community. It is critical that we keep the focus on this issue in our communities.”

“If the church doesn’t believe in redemption, then we might as well shut our doors. We can’t give-up on our communities and the young people in them. We must do what we can to reach them with the message that change is possible. Uniting in prayer is only the beginning.” said Rev. Dr. William Barber, II, co-convener of the Stop the Funeral Initiative.  

WMFC radio station has graciously agreed to partner with us for this walk and will do a live remote on that day. We are expecting all of our Covenant Partners to participate in the walk and to encourage their congregations to participate as well.  Walkers are asked to wear the Stop the Funeral T-shirt.  T-shirts may be ordered at the STOP the Funeral office, RBPCDC 2105 N William Street, Goldsboro or at any of our Covenant Partner churches.  In addition we are asking churches and other civic organizations to bring out their church banners for this event.  If you do not have a banner, please contact our office about ordering one.  

Our prayer focus for this walk is “A Wake-up Call” for peace in our community as gang and drug violence continues to fill our news reports. “I sat in a hospital waiting room just yesterday and heard the ear piercing scream of a mother who had just lost her son to violence. There will be another funeral, I thought.  God, help us stop them.”, said Ms. Francine Smith, Program Manager for the initiative.  “The walk establishes  of our preparation for the Drug Dealer Gang Member Redemption Conference in November.  During this conference, we reach out to those on the periphery of the gang and drug culture and assist them in making the choice for change, while offering them resources to facilitate that change”, she said.

Everyone is asked to come out and join us.  Volunteers are needed. Please contact the STOP The Funeral Office to volunteer.  You may also contact our office with any questions or concerns at 919 581-9178, or Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II at 919 735-9059.

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A collaborative effort of RBPCDC, Goldsboro/Wayne Branch-NAACP, and the faith community united to be a catalyst for stopping drug and gang violence in Wayne County. Begun in April, 2007 after a homicide following a funeral at McIntyre’s Funeral Home