Churches, Colleges Respond to George Floyd’s Death, National Discord

Christian churches and colleges across the country have called for prayer, dialogue, and reconciliation in response to outrage and demonstrations over George Floyd’s death while in the custody of Minneapolis police on May 25. Among the many examples:

•  Dudley Rutherford, pastor of Shepherd Church, Porter Ranch, Calif., had a conversation with several leaders in the black community, most of whom attend Shepherd regularly, about topics that included Floyd, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the current state of our country. (View it at the church’s Facebook page.)

• A dozen staff members of Crossroads Christian Church, Corona, Calif., spent about 15 minutes each on Facebook Monday afternoon reflecting about and praying over events in the nation.

• Staff of Traders Point Christian Church in the Indianapolis area made a last-minute decision to “gather whoever could come, outside at each of our campuses for a time of worship and prayer” on Sunday morning.

• On Saturday evening, the day before Milligan College became Milligan University, several people gathered on the Tennessee campus to pray for justice, reconciliation, and peace.

• President L. Thomas Smith wrote to the Johnson University community, “We are grieving with all those who are grieving right now, and we’re praying for our students, our staff and faculty, and our country.” The school is planning “a time of prayer and lament” at each of its campuses.

• And Matt Proctor, president of Ozark Christian College in Joplin, Mo., wrote at occ.edu: “Prayer is always our first and best response. So using Psalms as our guide, please join me this week in taking a day to fast and pray for. . . .” He then listed nine prayer needs (and accompanying Scripture verses) that included comfort, justice, repentance, forgiveness, compassion, protection, wisdom, peace, and acceptance.