Episode 67
"The Role of Churches in Addressing Urban Violence with Rev. Charles Harrison"
Bishop Julius C. Trimble is the Resident Bishop of the Indiana Area of the United Methodist Church.
Bishop Trimble has the personal mission to encourage all people with the love of Jesus Christ to rise to their highest potential. It is his commitment to his personal mission that led Bishop Trimble to create the “To Be Encouraged” Podcast along with co-host Rev.Dr. Brad Miller.
Bishop Trimble says, “I am compelled by Jesus to share with you an encouraging word or two about Jesus, theology, the Bible, the pandemic, the environment, racism, voting rights, human sexuality, and the state of the United Methodist Church.”
To Be Encouraged with Bishop Julius C. Trimble is to be published weekly and is available at www.tobeencouraged.com and all the podcast directories.
https://www.inumc.org/bishop/office-of-the-bishop/
- Episode 067: ""The Role of Churches in Addressing Urban Violence with Rev. Charles Harrison"
Introduction:
In a episode 067 of the "To Be Encouraged" podcast, Reverend Dr. Brad Miller had the privilege of hosting Reverend Charles Harrison from the Barnes United Methodist Church and the Indianapolis 10-point coalition. This powerful conversation shed light on the pressing issue of urban violence, particularly among young men of color. Here are three key takeaway points from this thought-provoking episode.
1. Urban Violence: A Health Epidemic We Must Address:
One disturbing statistic shared by Rev. Charles Harrison is that half of the deaths of black males between the ages of 12 and 24 are due to homicide. Urban violence is not just a criminal issue; it is a public health crisis. Homicide remains the leading cause of death for black males between the ages of 1 and 44. Recognizing the urgency of this situation, Rev. Harrison emphasizes the need to address urban violence as a health epidemic rather than solely as a law enforcement matter.
2. The Crucial Role of Faith-Based Communities:
Faith-based communities, specifically churches, have a vital role to play in tackling urban violence. The Indianapolis 10-point coalition, an inspiring faith-based group led by Rev. Harrison, aims to address the immediate imbalance on the streets while also targeting the root causes of violence. By utilizing the resources and ministries within churches, such as mental health counselors and peace initiatives, the coalition provides holistic support to individuals and families affected by violence.
One unique aspect of their work is the involvement of former gang members, referred to as OGs (original gangsters), who have transformed their lives. These individuals now advocate for peace within their community. Rev. Harrison highlights the importance of supporting these individuals who have turned to Jesus Christ and are dedicated to making amends for their past actions. Their firsthand experiences and redemption stories play a crucial role in bridging the gap between the faith-based community and those affected by violence.
3. Collaboration and Partnerships as Catalysts for Change:
Addressing urban violence requires collaboration between various stakeholders, including government, law enforcement, organizations, and communities. Rev. Charles Harrison emphasizes the importance of building relationships and effective communication to bring about lasting change. The Indianapolis 10-point coalition has successfully reduced murders 20 times since implementing its strategies in 2016. Their partnership-based approach involves engaging with individuals involved in gangs or drug activities, providing alternatives, and resolving conflicts without violence.
Furthermore, the significance of addressing mental health within communities cannot be understated. Rev. Harrison suggests that churches should have mental health counselors to provide support and counseling to individuals and families affected by violence. By viewing mental health as a vital aspect of overall well-being, churches can address the underlying issues that contribute to urban violence. This approach is transferable, adaptable, and can be applied in various settings, including suburban, small town, and rural areas.
Conclusion:
The conversation between Rev. Dr. Brad Miller and Rev. Charles Harrison at the Annual Conference sheds light on the critical issue of urban violence and offers hope for change. By viewing urban violence as a health epidemic, involving faith-based communities, and fostering collaboration and partnerships, we can work towards reducing violence, creating safer communities, and providing support to those affected. As we address this pressing issue, let us remember that change begins with each one of us, taking small but meaningful steps towards a brighter future.
To Contact Rev. Charles Harrison
Barnes United Methodist-Indianapolis IN
RevHarrison@aol.com
Transcript
good. Okay. Cool. Cool. Cool. Cool. Alright. We'll just jump into
Speaker:this, and we'll just free will it. Okay? Okay. Sounds good. Alright. This is
Speaker:reverend Doctor Brad Miller coming to you on the lives stream
Speaker:from the Indiana conference of the United Methodist Church.
Speaker:Tremendous turnout 1200 delegates devoted laypersons
Speaker:and clergy from all around Indiana who are here
Speaker:to celebrate and pray things forward No turning back is the theme of the
Speaker:conference. But, also, here particularly on this day,
Speaker:as we come together, many people were wearing orange shirts and or
Speaker:buttons that indicate the fight
Speaker:against gun violence. And we have with us now as our guest.
Speaker:We have Reverend Charles Harrison from Indianapolis, Indiana,
Speaker:and you're very involved with this. But Charles, first of all, tell us your your
Speaker:name of the church you're from, and little bit about the context you you that
Speaker:you serve in. Yes. My name is Charles Harrison, and I
Speaker:am the Pastra Barnes United Methodist Church in Indianapolis. On the
Speaker:west side in the end. I am also the
Speaker:board president of the board of directors of the
Speaker:Indianapolis 10 point coalition, which is a faith based group
Speaker:that addresses the issue of urban violence as
Speaker:it impacts young men of color between the
Speaker:ages of twenty four and down to twelve
Speaker:years old. So we we focus on that group
Speaker:because half the deaths of black males between the
Speaker:ages of twelve and twenty four years old is homicide.
Speaker:So it is really You know, one of the things
Speaker:that that really concerns us, you know, is
Speaker:is the impact of urban violence among
Speaker:young man. And and and and even though we focus on
Speaker:12 24, we even deal with
Speaker:with people younger too because from the age
Speaker:of one years old to forty four, homicide is the leading
Speaker:cause of death of black males this country. It is really in a
Speaker:way, it's an epidemic, isn't it terrible? It is it is epidemic. It is
Speaker:epidemic. It is a health epidemic. that we must
Speaker:address, and we we cannot ignore it. And and that's where the
Speaker:churches came in, the faith based community. We felt like
Speaker:that we could have an impact on urban
Speaker:violence as we came together to address
Speaker:both the media balance on the street, and
Speaker:then the underlying root causes a balance. And and we really
Speaker:wanted to focus on what we felt were root causes and
Speaker:use the the resources and the ministries that churches already
Speaker:have in place to try to address those causes, but
Speaker:then send individuals like myself
Speaker:and and OGs, which is a term that use
Speaker:for original gangsters or individuals who at
Speaker:one time were the problem in the seventies, eighties, nineties. Many
Speaker:of them have went to prison, came out of prison, turned their life
Speaker:around, turned their lives, you know,
Speaker:into being advocates for for peace in the
Speaker:community. And I really like it because Lalim gave their life to Jesus Christ.
Speaker:They were sitting in our churches, and they wanted to help clean up what they
Speaker:have once messed up. Of cleanup, what they once messed up. So let's
Speaker:talk about kinda how that's working, how that going, how's it being
Speaker:Implemented, you said you've got the OGs here. You've got the program's faith based
Speaker:community. Tell me about how it's being implemented, like, on the street.
Speaker:how what are people doing? And how how effective is
Speaker:Well, Indi Ten Point has 6, what we call, hotspot
Speaker:areas in the city of Indianapolis, and most of
Speaker:those hot spot areas have been designated by the city
Speaker:as areas that we we have seen a lot of
Speaker:non fatal shootings homicides,
Speaker:murders, and other criminal activity,
Speaker:burglary, card jacking and those things. So we
Speaker:focus at, you know, 29th in MLK. That's one
Speaker:area. The Butler talking to neighborhood,
Speaker:Crown Hill, we we divided in 2 sections, Highland
Speaker:vicinity, and then we're on the far east side because we have a 10
Speaker:point there from Thirty Eighth Street TO 42nd Street
Speaker:Between Mid Hoffer And German Church Road. And what our
Speaker:oldies do is they engage in the schedules on the streets
Speaker:who may be in gangs or neighborhood clicks, maybe selling
Speaker:drugs, or they just may be involved in some kind of criminal
Speaker:activity that typically leads to gun
Speaker:violence, and they engage them on the streets,
Speaker:trying to provide alternatives for them, trying them to put down the
Speaker:package, to put down the gun, and also talking to
Speaker:them about ways to resolve conflicts that
Speaker:does not result into violence. So we spend a lot of time,
Speaker:you know, dealing with these these gains, these clicks,
Speaker:drug dealers in these neighborhoods, who normally are gonna be
Speaker:the victims or the perpetrators of violent crime providing for
Speaker:them some kind of alternative to the life that they're living.
Speaker:And and and and the effect of it is since 2016,
Speaker:You know, we have implemented this new strategy in those in in
Speaker:about eight areas total because there are some
Speaker:areas that we're not doing today that we were doing, you know,
Speaker:almost 8 years ago. Twenty times, we have seen
Speaker:a 100% reduction in murders. It's 20 times.
Speaker:We just completed a year in in our six
Speaker:areas, and 5 of our six areas had a 100%
Speaker:reduction in murders, and that's the effectiveness of it. It is astounding.
Speaker:Yeah. We we cannot stop at all, but what our goal is
Speaker:how do we reduce the frequency of violence in those
Speaker:areas, and and that's our goal each year. Yeah. He talked to the kind of
Speaker:the point of contact that, you know, all the streets production of murder
Speaker:and reduction. That's great success. Thank you for sharing that.
Speaker:But systematically, we still have issues. Right. Government,
Speaker:policing, social morays,
Speaker:you know, the availability of guns. because there are any ways
Speaker:that 10 point coalition or the churches can work with the
Speaker:societal structures to help make
Speaker:an impact there. Well, well, certainly, in in the area of of
Speaker:police in particularly communities of color.
Speaker:We just finished having a
Speaker:conversation between residents
Speaker:in in in one of the hot spot areas and law enforcement because I think
Speaker:part of the issue is is getting the patrol officers
Speaker:who are patrolling those neighborhoods to have conversation, particularly
Speaker:with young men of color, who tend to be the
Speaker:victims of police misconduct and yet
Speaker:police have their own concerns in patrolling these neighborhoods
Speaker:and beginning the kind of conversations between community
Speaker:and law enforcement to try to build trust, to try
Speaker:to build relationship and understand from
Speaker:each perspective what some of the concerns are that each side
Speaker:has and try to build bridges so that we could begin to
Speaker:work on how do we improve the relationships
Speaker:between law enforcement, reduced the level of
Speaker:police brutality, police misconduct, and also on
Speaker:our end, how do we address the
Speaker:fears and concerns that law enforcement may have that
Speaker:sometimes lead to inappropriate behavior by who
Speaker:are, you know, sworn to to uphold and and and and and
Speaker:and protect the residents in the areas that they patrol. It's all
Speaker:you're looking more on a partnership model working together a model than kind of
Speaker:a, whatever, antagonistic model or, you know, we we've
Speaker:butt heads against one other. Let me ask you 1 or 2 other quick things,
Speaker:and let let you go and join rejoin the conference. You
Speaker:know, we've been talking mostly in the urban environment and and people of color.
Speaker:But violence and gun violence is not limited to this to there. Right. It
Speaker:is in the suburbs. It's in the small towns. It's in the rural areas.
Speaker:What are some transferable principles that you have learned through
Speaker:your work at Barnes UMC and the churches you work with at Tiv Point Coalition,
Speaker:which may be transferable principles to those people who are concerned
Speaker:in whatever community that they are in. Well well, one of the things that we
Speaker:really focus on that that really is a big issue right now is
Speaker:is understanding the whole issue of mental health and
Speaker:and getting people to have conversations about this
Speaker:issue of mental health. And when there are mental health
Speaker:issues in families, how do we help
Speaker:people get the kind of help for their loved one that is
Speaker:needed so that it doesn't lead to something very tragic.
Speaker:And we're really focusing on that issue.
Speaker:And, you know, particularly some of our
Speaker:churches have mental health counselors now the churches.
Speaker:So we're trying to take, you know, counseling
Speaker:in the areas of our city where we tend to have large
Speaker:numbers of people who are suffering from trauma -- Yeah. -- and mental health,
Speaker:and and it's becoming a focus. And and I think that will work anywhere. I
Speaker:think it's almost in in in all of our families. There may be someone there
Speaker:that are suffering from mental health, and we don't always know how to
Speaker:get the right help as a parent. you know, as a
Speaker:family member and and then some as a pastor, I certainly
Speaker:have members of my congregation that come to me
Speaker:not knowing what the resources are and tools that are available to
Speaker:help their family member. So the mental health issue, pastors and church leaders
Speaker:certainly can make themselves available -- Yes. -- and implement -- Yes. --
Speaker:mental health -- Yes. -- services, ministries, and so on -- Yep. -- as a
Speaker:part of dealing with Yeah. And and and partnering with hospitals
Speaker:and other mental health providers in in
Speaker:providing these kind of services, I I think that is very important that
Speaker:the church community bills those kind of relationships so
Speaker:that they have referrals that they can make to people
Speaker:who are suffering mental health issues. Awesome. Awesome. Let's ask one more
Speaker:thing. Okay. You're wearing the orchard, other than wearing the orchards for awareness. Yes.
Speaker:And a certain good thing about be awareness But what I wanna ask you,
Speaker:sir, is the theme of Bishop Triple's podcast is to be encouraged.
Speaker:What are you encouraged about in this whole
Speaker:conversation we've been talking about here today. Well, I I'm encouraged that we have a
Speaker:whole denomination in in churches all over the state
Speaker:of Indiana that are united methodists that are engaged in
Speaker:this conversation. I I think it's important if we're
Speaker:gonna to really address this issue of gun violence in this
Speaker:country. We all have to be more engaged in having conversation
Speaker:not allowing it to be so politicized that we no
Speaker:longer listen to each other on each side of this whole
Speaker:debate. and find ways that that we can come together
Speaker:and find common ground to end this epidemic
Speaker:that is crippling our country today. But, Charles, if if
Speaker:anybody who's listening to our podcast in livestream today wants to know more
Speaker:about the 10 point coalition or about you, there a way people can reach out
Speaker:to you to find out more? Yes. Yes. You you can contact
Speaker:me at the Barnes United Methodist Church
Speaker:317-923-9197,
Speaker:or they can email me at revharrison@aol.com.
Speaker:We'll put connections to that at our website, which is tobeencouraged.com.
Speaker:Our guest today on to be encouraged with Fisher Julius C
Speaker:Trimble, Reverend Charles Harrison from the Barnes United Methodist
Speaker:Church and the 10 point coalition, our guests here today, at
Speaker:the Indiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. Thank you, Charles. Thank
