Religious Leaders Rally

The pastor at New Hope Church in Champaign wants change, and he says the latest crime spree proves a sense of urgency.  He knows what's going on in the neighborhoods around him and right in front of him. In fact, a couple weeks ago a big part of Bradley Avenue was blocked off, and police were dealing with an incident right outside his church.  Now he wants to kick start a big community effort to  make it all stop.

Reverend Charles Nash is rallying fellow religious leaders for some spiritual guidance. "We're hoping by pulling these 20 pastors together, we hope were sending the message, it's gonna take all of us," says Nash.

The goal is to stop the violence. He says summer's already getting off to a bad start with a handful of shootings in just the last two months. Several even occurred right across the street from an elementary school.

Reverend Nash plans to start small.  He's focusing in on one region.  And getting all pastors from Neil to Lincoln and University to Bradley to join his fight.  "We've had some shootings in the area, some robbing in that area.  It's an area that stood out and it's moving; and we have to address it cause it's moving throughout the community," says Nash.

All the lights and yellow tape are sending a bad message.  But church leaders say they'll go door to door to spread a new one.  "We want to try and show those young people that that lifestyle, that road you're traveling is leading to destruction.  And ask yourself, is that what you want out of life?"

But the question now, is what do they need.  What will get teens off the streets?  Nash says, it's finding something for them to do that doesn't cost money.  They plan to get started soon, because summer's off to a bad start.  Some neighbors are skeptical, and don't think the pastors will be able to solve the problem.  But that's not going to stop them from trying, especially when they know innocent people are being affected by incidents, like Sunday night's crime spree.