MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Dozens of community members came out to Colonial Park United Methodist Church in East Memphis on Wednesday night to pray for peace and unity in the Mid-South, as the calendar flips to a new year.
“In our prayer God calls us to action,” said retired minister Paul Gardner. "God gives us legs to our prayers and helps us to get up and to move out in the community."
Gardner said he knows much of what happens in Memphis is left up to places like the courts and city hall, however he feels there are things everyone can do to make a little bit of difference.
“In a local church, in a local community we can be involved in our schools, we can help tutor kids, we can just love people and that goes a long way,” he said.
2023 was another record-setting violent year in the Mid-South, with nearly 400 homicides. As the calendar turns to 2024, Memphians are praying for peace but also taking action.
“There are a lot of people in Memphis who want to come together and make it good for everyone, and that's the beauty of our city,” added Senior Pastor Birgitte French.
Community leaders remain optimistic the best is yet to come for Memphis, and the arrival of a new mayor brings the start of a new era.
“Everything I’ve seen of Paul Young, I’m looking forward to him getting into the trenches and lighting a fire underneath us all,” said Gardner.
The church is working with schools in Memphis to keep kids on the right path and out of trouble.