Coalition of Pastors will help keep the peace during the George Zimmerman trial
By Boyce Watkin
The trial of George Zimmerman for the shooting and killing of Trayvon Martin is expected to bring out a lot of reaction from the community. The verdict will be announced soon, and there are those who are concerned that it could lead to violence and chaos.
Therefore, a coalition of local pastors will be in the courtroom to keep the peace and convey the progress of the case to their local churches and the public.
The pastors, from Black and white churches, have joined up with the Department of Justice and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office to help keep people calm and to keep the public informed during the controversial case.
The first rally for Trayvon Martin was held at First Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, and Tony Redmond, the assistant pastor, said that it is very important that the public know what is happening in the case.
Jeff Krall with the Family Worship Center, and co-chair of the Sanford Pastors coalition group, said that it was important for the pastors to be present during the trial because they could accurately convey the progress of the case and they would have influence with the community to keep them orderly.
The new coalition is made up from a mixture of Black, white, male and female pastors for a total of twelve. Their mission is to control rumors and speculation regarding the case and to help keep the peace in the Sanford community.
Some churches have been preparing for the trial of Zimmerman by giving sermons that teach emotional healing, and the coalition of pastors hope to achieve. They do, however, realize that they have a difficult job in front of them.
“There’s been a new initiative for the pastors to be proactive and work together, so I’m hopeful there will be no negative backlash during the trial,” Krall said.
Krall went on to say that his prayer is that civil rights will not be violated and that Zimmerman is given a fair trail. He also prays that the jury will arrive at the correct verdict.
The Department of Justice said that having the pastors present during the trial is very important because it expects the testimony given will generate powerful emotions, both from supporters of Zimmerman and from those opposed to him.
The judge in the Zimmerman case has said that the names of the jurors will never be made public.
