On June 5th, over 200 Minnesota pastors joined leaders from the national Assemblies of God (AG) and the National Black Fellowship of the Assemblies Of God (NBFAG) at North Central University (NCU) for a time of corporate prayer following the death of George Floyd and the subsequent unrest in the Twin Cities. Multiple pastors shared Scriptures and led prayers of lament and repentance with a clear call for the Church to rise up and lead in racial reconciliation.
AG General Treasurer Choco De Jesús opened the prayer time focusing on Minneapolis and reminding us, “Only God can change the heart, but He cannot heal what we conceal. We must not deny what’s happening to our brothers and sisters at every level.” Pastor Choco’s words echoed our sentiment on social media the week before — that God would give us a heart for Minneapolis and to weep over our “Jerusalem.” He went on to pray, “[Lord], You see the pain and the anger and the rage, and You weep. So we repent of our apathy and our selfishness — for closing our eyes to the injustice suffered by our neighbors. We turn from our ways and we look to you for wisdom.”
Bishop Walter Harvey, the President of the NBFAG, prayed, “We grieve, Lord, with a grief that’s manifested with tears, with tough conversations and courageous actions.” AG Assistant General Superintendent Rick DuBose challenged us to recognize this moment in our state, “You are here in the epicenter of something that is literally changing this nation, and changing how we see. You are not here by accident. God has been preparing your heart and your soul and your very character for this moment.”
Churches in the Central Twin Cities (CTC) Section have been at the frontlines from the outset. Christ Church Int’l has been distributing food donations to their community. You can read more about their experience at news.ag.org. ICCM Life Center has also been actively engaged with initiatives like the prayerful peace march on May 31st. Thank you to all the churches across Minnesota who have partnered with our CTC churches.
So where do we go from here? We know it’s a marathon, not a sprint, but we need to take first steps. As pastors, visit mnaog.org/ctc for a link to a video of the prayer time, and pray along with an open heart. We also have other videos and resources on the topics of racism, justice, and racial reconciliation for you on that web page. As churches, we are working toward partnerships with congregations within the CTC Section, not only meeting short term needs like donations, but also long-term prayer commitments, finances, resources, and other revitalization support.
As a District, we have designated an initial $100,000 to plant churches in the CTC Section led by African American pastors. We are also providing MNSOM grants and championing NCU’s scholarship initiative for future black leaders. We are committed to ongoing conversations with CTC pastors to generate ideas to intentionally and effectively reach Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Look for details on all fronts in the coming months as we move forward. This is just the beginning, and we have much work to do. As Pastor Rick DuBose noted, “Who knows? This might be the beginning of the revival that this nation has been praying for.”
