Written by Tanya Terry, with photos by Tanya Terry
Featured photo: Loretha Roberts stands next to a quilt she made in memory of her grandson, who was killed at age 21.
Vernon Chapel A.M.E. Church recently held a Gun Violence Awareness Sunday event featuring guest speaker Moses Bingham, pastor of Upper Room and Damascus Holy Life churches, who serves on the governor’s Gun Violence Prevention Task Force.
Bingham’s message, titled “Hope When the Storm Won’t Have the Last Word,” centered on three main points: an anchor doesn’t stop the storm but keeps you unmovable, an anchor is needed because the storm is real and anchored people can become anchors for one another and pillars of support.
Bingham emphasized that each homicide costs a city and state approximately $1-1.3 million dollars.
He shared personal experiences with gun violence, including a drive-by shooting near his home when his young son expressed fear of dying.
“I think he was 5 or 6 at the time and he came out saying, daddy, I don’t want to die,” shared Bingham. “And so, it was just one of those real points that you know gun violence is at our doorstep.”
Bingham stressed the importance of community prevention efforts, youth programming, economic opportunities and collective action from politicians, businesses, and residents to create safe communities. He highlighted that hope is confidence in the Lord’s promise and that transformation is possible through active mentorship and involvement.
“We just can’t give up,” said Bingham. “We can’t get discouraged by what’s happening around us. We just have to impact and try harder. We have to double down. We have to reimagine what this city could look like, what our communities can look like. We have to really support and be sensitive to what’s going on and really just strive to make a difference daily – because those realities are real and they hurt. We have to do what we can to make sure that it doesn’t happen again. What does that look like? It’s just being intentional every day and supporting our community.”
Event Chairperson Loretha Roberts, who organized the event as part of the Connectional African Methodist Women’s Missionary Society initiative, started in 2019, shared that her grandson was killed on June 16, 2021, shortly after the event began. She creates a memorial quilt annually in his memory and displayed an empty place setting honoring those killed by gun violence.
“In conjunction with the Connectional, the missionaries, we wanted to do something.” Roberts said. “And my grandson getting killed, it’s just put something in me with my faith that we need to do something. It’s just not saying he died. We need to believe that there is hope at the end of the road that we have to keep our faith. We need to stay prayed up and steadfast and come together as a community to see what we can do to help eradicate the gun violence. “
Roberts also went to Bethel AME Church in Saginaw for their gun violence awareness symposium.
“And one of the things too that they’re saying is what I’ve been saying,” stated Roberts. “We need to come together and work together. One person or one group can’t do it alone. We need to come together so that we can reach our young people.”
Roberts feels community members need to talk to the parents and try to find out if there’s an underlying problem.
“Mental health – that needs to be addressed. Another thing that bothers me, or I would like to find out, is where are all of these guns coming from? We promote the gun safety laws, the safe storage background checks. We support all of that. But we need to find out how the children are getting these guns.”
Other community members, including Dominique Chaney, whose cousin Jacari Roberts was killed at age 21, emphasized the need for youth programs, better communication with young people and community unity to address the violence affecting their neighborhoods.
The event aimed to raise awareness and inspire action to eradicate gun violence through faith, community support and collective responsibility.
Reverend Douglas Banks, the pastor of Vernon Chapel, stated: “I think it’s just a wonderful program as one of the things behind A.M.E. doctrine and in our church’s DNA is helping to heal hurt in the community through the love of Jesus Christ. And so, I thank God for members that see that as part of that reasonable service.”
