Some Columbus residents will turn to prayer Saturday to seek answers after a flurry of violent crime since the new year began.
Kingdom Vision International Church Pastor R.J. Matthews is organizing a prayer walk in east Columbus. He’s inviting anyone interested to pray for the city’s wellbeing.
“I honestly believe that as believers get out in the community and really begin to pray, we can see the Lord turn the tides of things in our city,” Matthews said.
The pastor said people will gather for the walk at noon Saturday outside the East Columbus Gym on Lawrence Road. Matthews said that from there, the walk will go along area streets, with stops at “prayer points” where people can pray together.
“I felt like it was important not only to pray in our buildings — because we pray in our church buildings — but I felt like there’s significance in us getting out in the streets and communities where it matters most and pray there,” he said.
Seven reported shooting incidents have happened in Columbus since New Year’s Day: a fatal shooting on Jan. 3; a shooting that injured one man in the arm on Jan. 5; a Jan. 8 shooting that put a daycare on lock down; a trio of shootings the night of Jan. 11-12 that left one man injured; and an early morning shooting on Jan. 13 that left two people injured.
Matthews said he hopes to reach out to local pastors and city leaders about the prayer walk.
He said the volume of crime in recent weeks has been so severe lately that he felt compelled to do something.
“It’s heartbreaking,” he said. “As a citizen — as a young man who grew up here — I love this place. No city is perfect, but you deal with violence and death and murders and those types of things and you just know that your city is better than that. As a pastor, you see it as a responsibility to do whatever you can to help serve your community and see it become better.”
The shootings have also prompted responses from city officials. On Monday, officials held a meeting at Genesis Church Daycare about the shooting that temporarily put it on lock down.
CPD will also hold a public meeting on the shootings at 6:30 p.m. today at Columbus High School.
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 47 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 47 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
