Men hope prayer will help

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, May 17, 2008

Two homicides in a four-day period from April 27 to May 1 in the city's Highland Park area were enough.

Former city councilman John Nave approached his pastor, the Rev. E.T. "Tom" Watson, of El Shaddai Church of God in Christ, about rallying the troops.

A meeting was hurriedly put together for 7 p.m. May 6 at the El Shaddai church, 920 S.E. Sherman.

Watson and Nave had only a day to get the word out.

Watson said he was calling 300 men of faith to show up and pray for the community - and for an end to violence that seemed to be spiraling out of control.

About 50 men from various ethnic and church denomination backgrounds had showed up for the meeting by the time I left at 7:30 p.m. I was told a few more came in after I had departed.

Watson made it clear this wasn't about a pastor or a church, but about men rising up and uniting in prayer, getting God's attention the old-fashioned way - on their knees.

The men have continued to meet, gathering this past Tuesday night at Community Church, 1819 S.W. 21st.

The group next will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, 1100 S.E. Washington.

More prayer meetings are taking place from 7 to about 8 a.m. Saturdays at the El Shaddai church.

Watson said he is still setting his sights on 300 men who will commit themselves to praying for the city on a continuing basis.

He said he got the number from the biblical account of Gideon's army, found in the book of Judges. In that instance, the army started at 32,000 but was eventually reduced to 300 men.

Watson is working in the opposite direction - from zero to 300.

In any event, 300 is a formidable number of people when they are pulling together in the same direction.

Some at the first meeting lamented that such a prayer gathering was long overdue, and men should have been coming together to pray all along.

Sadly, they said, it took the violent deaths of two young men to spur the group into action.

For his part, Watson said at the first meeting he didn't believe all the problems in the community were suddenly going to disappear after the men got done praying and left the church building.

However, he said, the power of prayer could bring about long- lasting changes in the community.

"This is not a church issue," Watson said that night. "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 added he and others at the meeting shared "a sense of urgency" over violence in Topeka.

Saving only one life would make it all worthwhile, he said.

"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."

Phil Anderson can be reachedat (785) 295-1195or phil.anderson@cjonline.com.