Ferguson: A Call to Pray, Witness, and Seek to Understand through Faith

Two weekends ago, Central Methodist University’s Center for Faith & Service led a mission trip to Kingdom House in St. Louis. Originally founded in 1902 as a United Methodist settlement house for immigrants, Kingdom House continues to promote empowerment and help the economically disadvantaged achieve economic independence, self-sufficiency, and a path out of poverty. After a weekend of learning, serving, and having a good time, we finished up our weekend by worshiping at Wellspring United Methodist Church, a recent church start in downtown Ferguson, Missouri.

I was really looking forward to attending church at Wellspring. Earlier this fall, I heard an interview on NPR with Rev. Willis Johnson, the pastor at Wellspring. Johnson was being interviewed about the role he played during the initial Ferguson protests, as captured in a powerful photograph by the Washington Post. In the image, Johnson seeks to console an 18 year old African American, Joshua Wilson. In…