Updated: Church of Christ hosts prayer service for Tulsa shooting victims

(Update: The Tulsa World has posted additional news about the April 6 shootings, including an expanded version of the memorial service coverage.)
The North Peoria Church of Christ in Tulsa, Okla., hosted a prayer service on Easter Sunday for the victims of a weekend shooting rampage.
Three people died and two were seriously injured during a series of shootings on April 6. Tulsa police arrested two white men in connection with the shootings, the Tulsa World reports. All of the shooting victims were black.
About 100 people gathered at the church building for the service, News 9 reports. Religious leaders called for their city to unite, regardless of race, in the wake of the shootings, the Tulsa World reports.

Kavin Ross, who described himself as a concerned citizen, said during a short memorial service for the victims at North Peoria Church of Christ that Tulsans should face the racial tensions brought to surface by the shootings.
“This should not be a black issue or a white issue,” he said. “It should be a Tulsa issue.”
Warren Blakney, minister of the church and local president of the NAACP, thanked the Tulsa Police Department, FBI and other organizations involved in the arrests.
The community feels safer now, but is mindful of what it lost, he said. People are coming together to support the families of the victims, he said.
“I should say to those that may be listening across the country, we are one America,” he said.

• Feedback
  Evil comes in all nationalities and colors. Satan uses these evil ones to try to defeat the Christians who love the Lord. My prayers and condolences to the victims’ families and to the members of the church. Stay strong in your faith. Do not let this issue turn into a racial one. Satan would smile at that. God bless each and every Christian in Tulsa suffering from this horrible crime.
  A sister in Christ

  Darlene Carroll

  April, 13 2012

  I wholehearted agree with Darlene Carroll above. We are all Americans, we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. It is wrong to take the life of another, whether in the womb or running around in life. God loves us all, white, black, brown, pink or whatever. More God bring together all of His people with love and understanding.

  Richard Taylor

  April, 13 2012

  Glad to see a congregation exercising spiritual leadership in it’s community as this church has. May their being salt and light help others to know the Lord.

  Ron

  April, 13 2012

  It is unfortunate that it took an African American congregation in Tulsa to bring attention to this hate crime (killed or shot because of their race). Wouldn’t it have been considerate for white congregations to do the same? The pattern of white Churches of Christ avoiding addressing these issues publicly continues. In the 1950’s and 60’s, we were on the wrong side of that movement being critical of “outside agitators” and defending the status quo. This was a time when literally hundreds of black men were taken to jail in the South, never to be heard from again. When a few voices of tolerance and change did speak out (see John Allen Chalk on Herald of Truth) what was the repercussion in the Churches of Christ? In 1964 I attended a white Church of Christ that stationed two men at the back door to keep some people from coming in. How many of those brethren from that era actually ever repented of their discriminatory behavior. ACU’s Royce Money did!!! Yes, there will be some to rise up in day of judgment against those who remained either indifferent or supportive of the racism. The reality is that we still have a way to go in our growth in tolerance and acceptance.
  By the way, one poster equated abortion with the killings in Tulsa. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the church paid equal attention to those issues?

  Harold Williams

  April, 14 2012