Faith Leaders Open Doors For Community Traumatized By Daunte Wright Killing
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Faith leaders in Brooklyn Center are coming together to help the community process their emotions following the shooting death of 20-year-old Daunte Wright by police Sunday afternoon.
They believe prayer and an open door are the first steps.
Renee Franzen, lead pastor of Brookdale Covenant Church, says congregations in Brooklyn Center are struggling with all that's happened in the last 24 hours.
"We're scrambling, and praying, and asking God what would you have us do?" Franzen said. "It's just a tragedy that this community will have to process."
To help, they have opened seats to their sanctuary at Brookdale Covenant Church on Brooklyn Boulevard, where a large picture of Daunte Wright sits inside. Pastor JD Larson of North City Church is a partner in the effort.
"Often times, one of the things people need in this time is just a safe space to pray, and so this is going to become that space," Larson said.
The pastors believe listening to each other is step number one -- something they believe is too often lost in the noise.
"We just need to be here as much as we can, and encourage people to lament the world that we're living in right now, and to find hope for how we sustain our community, both those who are parts of our church and those who aren't," Franzen said.
They are reminding their members of a higher power who can always hear.
"We have a god who can handle all of our emotions. The anger, the anguish, the confusion," Larson said.
Brookdale Covenant and North City Church plan to keep their sanctuary open for the next few days so people are able to stop by and pray.
