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                  Ferguson Church Grapples With Race Relations

   by Ayesha Tanzeem

   Many white residents of Ferguson, Missouri, say they chose to live in
   the St. Louis suburb because of its diversity. So, they were shocked
   when a white police officer killed an unarmed black teenager in an
   August street confrontation - and shaken by the resulting protests and
   violence.

   Now, as they await a grand jury's decision on whether to indict Officer
   Darren Wilson in the August shooting death of Michael Brown, many are
   trying to figure out where to go from here.

   Some churches here in this central United States community are leading
   the conversation.

   Pastor Willis Johnson of Wellspring Church devoted his entire Sunday
   service to the issue. He changed his usual routine and made his
   congregation members stand up and hug one another. He wants the
   community to start what he admits is a tough conversation.

   Johnson said he believes it's his duty to "challenge people to do
   something, in some way, regarding not just this issue but the many
   issues that are human issues that we have to address."

   His United Methodist congregation has been partnering with other
   churches, as well as nearby school districts, to help the community
   deal with the aftermath of Brown's death.

   The pastor also is trying to give a sense of direction and purpose to
   people who are grappling with what to do next and how to do it.

   "I think there is a lot of drive here to change things, and people
   don't know what to do with that," said Katie Turnbull.

   Seeking different perspectives

   Turnbull, who is white, came to Johnson's predominantly
   African-American church specifically in response to the Brown
   situation.

   "It helps me to understand different perspectives, and I think that we
   all need to reach out to one another and understand what everyone is
   feeling about what's going on," said Turnbull, who came from another
   United Methodist church for her second visit to Wellspring.

   Turnbull is not alone in this community in trying to find ways to deal
   with this issue.

   But Johnson worries not everyone is as open-minded.

   "What I fear is people are not being heard, not seeking to understand,
   and not thinking through the purposes of our actions - and that's on
   both sides," he said.

   Individuals and small groups in the community seem motivated and want
   to participate in efforts to resolve deep-seated issues of race and
   socio-economic inequity. But Turnbull and Pastor Johnson agree that the
   conversation is not as widespread as it needs to be.

   Seeking positive change

   They also believe this is not something that can be accomplished in the
   short term. Along with more intense conversation, Johnson said,
   resolution will demand laboring together "a little bit longer. And it's
   going to require a lot more heavy lifting, and it's going to require us
   to be long suffering."

   Many in Ferguson say that they hope the unarmed teenager's death
   ultimately will bring about concrete changes and an improved
   relationship between community members and police.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/ferguson-church-grapples-with-race-re
   lations/2523070.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/ferguson-church-grapples-with-race-relations/2523070.html