Church-based volunteers seek to help crime-troubled community

Bible in one hand, bottled water in the other, Darryl Reddin joined scores of local residents in a door-to-door community initiative Saturday evening.

The first walk in the new program shepherded by True Vine Ministries of Cape Girardeau saw nearly 50 people from the area divided into seven teams to knock on doors to pray with residents and discuss issues facing the city.

"Church is more than just four walls," Reddin said before the volunteers embarked. "Because once we leave the church, there's a crying out in the streets."

They walked Jefferson, Pacific, Sprigg, Benton, Bloomfield, Hanover and Ellis streets, handing out prayer books and pamphlets and canvassing residents about what changes they would like to see in Cape.

There have been four homicides this year so far, and residents are concerned about violent crime.

The Rev. Byron Bonner, pastor of True Vine Ministries, prays before groups go out to nearby neighborhoods on Saturday in Cape Girardeau. (Fred Lynch)

Reddin has been contemplating the door-to-door program for about a year, and True Vine Ministries has tried similar ministry in the past, but recent violence in Cape convinced the group the time was ripe to try again.

"First we started out over of Sprigg Street," he said. "We cast out a lot of devils, and some people laughed at us, but there's work to be done."

Reddin worked closely with the True Vine Ministries pastor, the Rev. Byron Bonner, to organize the walkers, but many volunteers came from other churches.

One of them, Kathy Senter, hails from Sikeston, Missouri, but saw the program as a worthy cause.

"It's simple," she said. "We're trying to share the love of Jesus to stop some of the bad stuff going on.

"None of us are here to recruit church members," Bonner said. "It's about praying with people to help the community."

Bonner explained why prayer works in his prewalk pep talk.

"I truly believe that if we pray in these houses, it'll plant a seed that God can use for good, but if we don't go out, nothing is going to happen," he said. "Nothing is going to change."

Former state senator Mary Kasten was one of the volunteers; she said taking the spirit found inside the churchhouse to the street is important.

"It's something I feel we need to do," she said. "It's good to have people from different churches united together."

Truevine deacon-in-training Brent Adams explained that inclusion in a religious community can be one of the most potent stabilizing influences in a person's life, especially during the vulnerability of youth.

"I didn't know until I turned 40," he said. "But you have the power to change your life."

Adams and fellow True Vine member Sharon Scott were assigned to the orange team, responsible for Pacific Street. After a few apparently unoccupied homes, they met Sarah Johnston and her son Chris.

"After all the things that have been going on, we're just trying to talk to people," Scott explained. "Can we pray with you?"

Johnston happily invited them up and for an impromptu prayer circle after which the volunteers recorded her name and phone number and asked what changes she would like to see.

Johnston is studying to become a parole officer, hoping to help young people get their lives back on track. In her opinion, Cape Girardeau needs more resources for young people to help keep them out of trouble.

"I've been trying to open a place for the kids for a while now," she said. "Because when they get in trouble, they need help; what else are they going to do?"

Scott and Adams recorded her ideas and prayed once more before continuing, wanting to hit as many houses as possible.

"With the killings and violence we've seen, it's important for us to reach out to people." Scott said. "If a person is saved, they're nonviolent. It will institute a change in them."

tgraef@semissourian.com