by Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell
Special to the Tri-State Defender

Pastors in the north Memphis community of Douglass united three years ago to form the Douglass Pastors Consortium, with a shared vision of matching a time “when peace and harmony was felt throughout Douglass”.

 “Many of us grew up here, attended Douglass High School, and remained to raise our children,” said Pastor Lerone Rooks of Travelers Rest Baptist Church. “But all this senseless street violence and gang activity have made people afraid of one another. We hope activities this summer will change all that.”

Kicking off the consortium’s effort was a month-long tent revival in July on the corner of Pope and Mt. Olive Streets. Each Wednesday night at 7 p.m., pastors preached, offered words of encouragement, and featured choirs and soloists during service.

 “If we can call people back to God and have real revival in Douglass, the spirit of the village will return,” Rooks said. “People will begin to love one another, and we would be able to reach our young men and women. They need to put down their guns and help build up our community, not tear it down.”

A “Stop the Violence” event last Saturday (Jul 31) featured strong words from community residents who denounced gang violence. On display was a memorial to those who have lost their lives on the streets of the Douglass community.

“Douglass was a quiet, loving community when we were growing up,” said Minister Laura Barlow. “Now, I’m a grandmother, and I don’t want my grandson to be afraid to just walk down the street. Gangs are a great concern. There are quite a few more than just two or three in Douglass, and that is a big issue. We’ve got to stand up against this violence as a united community.”

Sharon Robbins, a long-time Douglass resident, has been significantly affected by violent crime. Two men who fathered her grandchildren were shot to death and one 12-year-old grandson was shot. He recovered.

“My grandchildren will grow up not really knowing their father because these two young men were shot and killed out here in these streets,” said Robbins. “I thank God my grandson recovered, but it’s really bad when children can’t just go outside and play without us having to worry about whether or not they’re safe. It’s pitiful.”

This year, the consortium combined their National Night Out and Back-to-School celebration on Wednesday under the revival tent.

“We’ve been a part of National Night Out because it’s important for the Douglass community and every community to serve notice on criminals that decent people are making a stand against wrongdoing,” said the Rev. Harry Davis, pastor of St. Paul Baptist Church. “Building a strong partnership with our neighbors and the law enforcement community makes life better for all of us. National Night Out is extremely important, especially in the city of Memphis.”

The “Back to School” celebration was designed to offer youngsters school supplies, eats and treats, words of encouragement, music, and family fun, according to Rooks.

“Our children are headed back to school in just a few days, and we want them to get off to a great start. We’re behind them, the Douglass community loves them, and we want to see them succeed.”

The Douglass Pastors Consortium

There is no election of officers or conventional parliamentary decorum in the Douglass Pastors Consortium (DPC). They are all “leaders simply coming together to deal with the community’s issues,” said one pastor.

Members of the DPC are: Pastor Torrie Wilson, St. John Baptist Church – Chelsea; Pastor Kip Douglas, Unprevailing Walls Outreach Ministry; Pastor Carla Edwards, Souled Out Truthful Ministries; Pastor Lerone Rooks, Travelers Rest Baptist Church; Pastor Charlotte Cobbs  Come C International Outreach Ministries; Pastor Forrest Franklin, Willing Souls Baptist Church; Pastor Leroy Davis, First Baptist Church – Mt. Olive; Pastor Nathanial Cooper, Peace Baptist Church; Pastor Alphonso Williams, Morning Star Baptist Church; Pastor Harry Davis, St. Paul Baptist Church