Content provided in partnership with

Men of peace talk, pray

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, May 7, 2008 by Phil Anderson

By Phil Anderson

THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

Kenneth Price took a quick glance Tuesday night around the sanctuary of El Shaddai Church of God in Christ, 920 S.E. Sherman.

As the soft strains of praise music played over the sound system, about 50 men were settling into the church's pews.

Some in the racially mixed crowd greeted each other with a hug or a handshake.

But the tone of the evening was serious.

The gathering was in response to a pair of shootings that left two young men dead last week in the city's Highland Park area, bringing the city's 2008 homicide total to four.

Most Popular Articles in Business: Research and Markets : Tesco Plc - SWOT Framework Analysis; Do Us a Flavor - Ben & Jerry's Issues a Call for Euphoric New Flavors; eBay made easy: ready to start an eBay business? These 5 simple steps will ...; Katrina's lawsuit surge: a legal battle to force insurers to pay for flood ...; Wal-Mart's newest distribution center opened last month near the southwest ...; More »

"I believe this is much needed," Price, 60, a member of the El Shaddai church, said of the prayer meeting. "It's overdue. Hopefully, we can get some support in the community to stop this violence - to stop the killing of our young men."

Local church and community leaders on Monday called for 300 men to come together Tuesday night to pray for an end to the violence and to discuss ways to prevent it from recurring.

Though the turnout fell short of the goal, the church's pastor, the Rev. E.T. "Tom" Watson, was undaunted.

"Jesus said, 'Where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst of them,' " Watson said. "There's more than two or three people in this room, so we know he's here in our midst."

Watson said Tuesday night's meeting was the first in what he hopes will be an ongoing series of men's gatherings for prayer and dialogue.

He said he expects the group to grow to the 300 men he envisions.

"This is not a church issue," Watson said. "However, it is a spiritual issue. I believe by the time we're done, we will have 300 men coming together from across the city, agreeing to pray, because it's prayer that changes things."

Watson said he and others at the meeting shared "a sense of urgency" over violence in Topeka.

"If 20 years from now, us coming together and praying only salvages one life," he said, "every minute we spend together on our knees would have been worth it."

John Nave, a former city councilman and member of the El Shaddai church who helped spearhead Tuesday night's meeting, said he and others have come to the point that "enough is enough" and that something must be done to help save the city's at-risk youths.

Nave said men play a critical role in helping put an end to violence, whether they are a father, brother or uncle to a young person.

"It's time men step up and become the leaders they are supposed to be in the community," he said.

Though the recent wave of violence has been on the city's east side, Nave said it is "a communitywide issue, because it affects the entire community."

Several representatives from the Topeka Police Department, including Chief Ron Miller and Deputy Chief Gary Herman, attended at the invitation of meeting organizers.

"This isn't just a police problem," Herman said. "It's a community problem. We want to be a part of the solution with the community."

Bennie Davis, 66, said the gathering of men Tuesday night was an important first step in addressing the violence in Topeka.

"This is marvelous," Davis said. "We have to step up to the plate to save our young men. This is just the starting point. Nobody can do it but us."

Phil Anderson can be reached

at (785) 295-1195

or phil.anderson@cjonline.com.the appearance the council killed the deal when in fact, he contended, it was the law that killed it.

He said the city administration didn't need authorization from the council to notify MSG that the contract was meaningless because it was never properly authorized.

Interim city attorney Braxton Copley continued to recommend the council adopt the resolution. He didn't disagree with Haynes' arguments, but used terms like "out of an abundance of caution," "a formality to get closure" on the matter and "states clearly for the record" in arguing the resolution should be adopted.

Councilman Richard Harmon, like Haynes a lawyer, thought he had found some language that would appease Haynes. He suggested replacing the words "terminates the lease-purchase agreement" with "is null and void and of no legal effect."

But Haynes cited other passages in the resolution that bothered him. So, Harmon suggested a week's delay in acting on the resolution so he and Haynes and Copley could draft a document satisfactory to all of them.

"I understand why there is no meeting of the minds," Harmon said. "I think we can get there."

To which Haynes added, "I think so."

In other action Tuesday, the council:

n Voted 9-0 to deny a $2 million claim by developer Gene Jani over the rejection of a zoning change request.

n Approved unanimously a $1.5 million package of improvements in the Central Park and Holliday Park neighborhoods.

Mike Hall can be reached

at (785) 295-1209

or mike.hall@cjonline.com.

Men of peace talk, pray

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, May 7, 2008 by Phil Anderson

Find Research Guides for:

Find Featured Titles for: Reference

Most Popular Articles in Business

Most Popular Publications in Business