Texas Conference Ministers’ Alliance (A.M.E. Church) Presents Prayer Vigil/Press Conference for Emanuel A.M.E. Church (Charleston, South Carolina)
Late Wednesday, June 17, 2015 we were unfortunately reminded that evil and hate are still alive and prevalent in society. It is with great sadness that we address and come to terms with the fact that nine innocent people are now dead, including Democratic South Carolina State Senator, Rev. Clementa C. Pinckney, who was also the Senior Pastor of Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. There are no words to even help comprehend or understand the rationale and reasons why Dylann Storm Roof, the alleged suspect and perpetrator, would enter a place of worship and a historic church, one of the oldest African American churches in the country, and commit such a violent and heinous crime. The level of hatred expressed before and during the attack is horrendous and definitely inexcusable.
This attack was not only on Emanuel A.M.E. Church, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, African Americans, but on the people of God whom identify themselves as Christians. In his famous letter from the Birmingham Jail, the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stated, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” This attack and threat to justice affects all people, regardless of race, ethnicity, class, etc. Our call to justice is expressed in Amos 5:24 (NIV), “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” We are praying for swift action and justice on behalf of the victims and survivors to the fullest extent of the law.
Please join the Texas Conference Ministers’ Alliance of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, members of various churches and different faith-based organizations, community leaders and elected officials in a Prayer Vigil/Press Conference for Emanuel A.M.E. Church on Saturday, June 20, 2015 at 5:00PM at Wesley A.M.E. Church in Houston, Texas. The church is located on the corner of Dowling and Webster at 2209 Dowling Street Houston, Texas 77003. For more information you may contact the Texas Conference Ministers’ Alliance President, Rev. David Israel Madison at (281) 730-1460 or Rev. Sean J. Nickelberry at (832) 496-0718.
We stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in South Carolina in praying for the victims, Emanuel A.M.E. Church, the city of Charleston, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the United States of America, and forgiving the alleged suspect.
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The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the A.M.E. Church, is a predominantly African-American Methodist denomination based in the United States. It is the oldest independent denomination founded by blacks in the world. It was founded by the Rt. Rev. Richard Allen in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1816 from several black Methodist congregations
