Clergymen in the city of Rochester are answering a new call, and it’s putting them on the streets with city cops.
In the wake of deadly shootings at the hands of police officers in Missouri, Maryland and New York, new calls have come for better police-community relations. The city of Rochester has responded to those calls by introducing the “Clergy on Patrol” program. It’s a cutting-edge initiative designed to assist in better acquainting members of law enforcement with the people they serve. The program was introduced by Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren and utilizes men and women from various churches and ministries across the area. One of those men of the cloth is Pastor Melvin Cross Jr.
Pastor Cross is pastor of the newly-founded Glory House International, a “power-contemporary” church in the heart of one of the city’s roughest neighborhoods. Pastor Melvin recently sat down with Upstate New York Gospel Magazine to discuss this program, its relevance to the Rochester community, and what churches can learn from its approach.
