At Breath of Life Seventh-day Adventist Church in Fort Washington yesterday, the grim statistics resonated like the singers' rich voices and ignited talk of a new movement.
As of Monday, 26 people -- one nearly every 48 hours -- had died in homicides in Prince George's County this year, tainting normally triumphant observances of Black History Month with tragedy.
Pastor Marcus Harris leads participants in prayer at Breath of Life Seventh-day Adventist Church's Black History Month service.
(Photos Marvin Joseph -- The Washington Post)
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"We would rather be recognizing black heroes," said community organizer Rocky Twyman, who helped organize Breath of Life's Black History Month service. "But this is something that could destroy a lot of people in this community."
Marcus Harris took over as pastor of the church seven months ago. "We're trying to build relations with community organizations and see how we can be a bridge. I think we've always been active in the community, but we want to take it to the next level," said Harris, who wore West African robes of black, white and silver.
Among the church's members are several retired law enforcement officers, Harris said. They will be part of a new group aiming to strengthen links among residents, police and community organizations that work with troubled families.
"There are some things we will be able to do better than others," Harris said. "We see our faith as an added tool and avenue for help."
The members of Breath of Life have been lucky, Harris said. Not many in the 700-strong congregation, which moved to the county from downtown Washington in the early 1980s, have been touched directly by homicide.
Arnecia Dockery, 24, is one who has. Her friend James Ridley, 25, of Camp Springs was found shot to death in his car in Fairfax County on Dec. 30. Since then, "I've been praying a lot for his mom, and visiting her once a week," said Dockery, of Fort Washington.
"We have a lot of people with different problems here, and a church gives you the opportunity to get counseling. . . . They won't turn their back on you."
Pat Martin of Mitchellville said she believes the church could do more. "We probably need a stronger outreach," particularly to youth, she said.
"We're very close-knit here. Most of our activity is [church-based] sports and religious instruction," she said. "What we want to start doing is to bring people into the communities where the violence is, and that's a tough job."
Joseph Young teaches in the church's youth and men's ministries. He believes some answers could be found in the congregation's retreats for young men, which educate boys ages 9 to 18 in the "principles of living," including such topics as spirituality, sex education and personal hygiene.
"You might have a situation where kids in church are doing well, but we all have families that don't go to church, and we're telling them, 'Keep your nose clean. Stay out of the system,' " said Young, 46, of Waldorf. "We've got to take what we get here out to our families."
Sadly, what the church and the community must face, Harris said, is that "this is an ongoing struggle for us. We'll make as many strides as we can and hold onto our hope."
Inside the church, guest speaker J. Alfred Johnson II, a former Breath of Life pastor who is director of adult ministries for the Seventh-day Adventist Church's North American division, thundered through a sermon about the value of prayer. Arms in the air, he strode across the stage, mixing Bible verse and interpretation with jokes and encouragement.
"Prayer is the only weapon that the church has," he said. "We might pray as fervently as we want to pray, and still that child might be lost.
"But peace comes to us."
