'Fortifying this city': Pastors seek to unify African American faith communities following recent violence

There are more than a dozen churches on the south side of Cape Girardeau.

They have different denominations, ministry structures, teachings, preaching styles and congregations. But one thing they've all got in common is a vested interest in community healing and unification.

With this in mind, 10 local pastors announced the formation of the Pastoral Assembly of Cape Girardeau (PAC) on Jan. 19, during a Martin Luther King Jr. service at Lighthouse Cape.

The assembly aims to unify the voices of various African-American faith communities in Cape Girardeau and focus on the community's united interests, according to PAC president, the Rev. William "Tiger" Bird Jr., of Greater Dimensions Ministries.

Although the assembly is largely made up of faith leaders whose houses of worship are in South Cape, the Rev. Adrian Taylor Jr., PAC vice president and pastor of Lighthouse Cape, explained PAC members are located throughout the city, and the group's mission extends to all of Cape Girardeau.

Rev. William Bird Jr.

"Our purpose really is to bring together our community," Bird told the Cape Girardeau City Council earlier this week. "Not just the south side, but all sides."

PAC members stood before the council Monday with Mayor Bob Fox, who expressed his support of the assembly.

The recent violence has been an incentive for "serious" action among PAC pastors, Taylor said.

"We all sat down and everybody agreed that we wanted to be one voice and we wanted to be one body of believers and truly function the way we think Christian leaders ought to function," he said.

"We're stronger together than we are apart," Bird said.

Rev. Adrian Taylor Jr.

Taylor acknowledged similarities to the preexisting Cape Girardeau Ministerial Alliance, for which he served as president for several years, and noted the new assembly will serve a specific, "immediate need" to bring unity among African American churches in the city.

"One of the problems with getting the African American pastors involved was that the African American pastors were already so divided themselves," Taylor said. " ... To have a literal, strategic, intentional movement to go out and touch every single one and say, 'Let's come together and have a conversation,' that has never happened, to my knowledge, in the 10 years that I've been here."

Bird compared PAC's effort to the biblical story of Nehemiah, a cupbearer to the king of Persia who was compelled by God to rebuild the city of Jerusalem, despite having no building experience or public support.

"It's about the work," Bird said. "It's about fortifying this city. ... We're fighting for the family, we're fighting for the city, and we're going to fortify this city with those who have a mind and will to work."

The members of the newly-formed assembly quickly began work with a unified focus. PAC members have met with the mayor and scheduled future meetings with leaders in local government and law enforcement.

All community members have been invited to Second Baptist Church at 835 Beaudean Lane in Cape Girardeau, at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, where the pastors' congregations from various churches will come together for a PAC-organized celebration including music, food, worship and more.

"Hopefully this will move others into action as well, and that we'll stop saying what we need to do and just start doing what we can do," Taylor said. "Because you may not be able to do what needs to be done, but you can do something to contribute towards that effort."

"We want to pack out the house," Bird said. "We want it to be standing room only."

"I think, for a lot of people in the community, it is a great opportunity for people to meet some leaders and find out what's happening in the different churches," Taylor said.

For more information about PAC or to get involved, contact the Rev. William Bird at william.bird65@gmail.com or the Rev. Adrian Taylor at apostleatj@gmail.com.

"My plan is to have a great celebration, a coming together that has not been in quite a while," Bird said. " ... We come to celebrate each other ... to let our community know that we're here to help and we're going to do the best that we can."