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Politics & Government

Interfaith Service Centers Around City Issues

Local pols, clergy members touch on Newark's future

As Newark experiences an upsurge in gun violence and high unemployment, clergy and elected officials gathered Thursday night for a special interfaith service to address the city's problems and bring food and clothing to the needy.

The service, "Newark United," was held at the New Hope Baptist on Sussex Avenue and featured gospel music, prayer, words of hope, exhortations to do better for the community and even some pointed political commentary from that night's featured speakers.

The church’s pastor, Joe Carter, other clergy and elected officials like state Sen. Ronald L. Rice and Newark Council President Donald Payne Jr. spoke at the event, which attracted dozens of people who filled the pews of New Hope’s soaring sanctuary.

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"Best thing we can do in 2012 is gather together to seek spiritual guidance as a community," Carter said in the opening sermon of the service.

The event was sparked by Newark’s Peace Education Summit last year, Carter said. He and Mayor Cory Booker discussed ways for community members and elected officials such as Booker to come together and reconnect.

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Booker was not present at the event Thursday night but had Deputy Chief of Staff Anthony Santiago come to represent him, said Tina Spears, Carter’s executive secretary. 

Officials present included state Sen. M. Teresa Ruiz and city council members Ras Baraka, Darrin Sharif, Carlos Gonzalez, and Anibal Ramos, Jr. Carter said officials who were invited and did not show up may have been detained by the funeral preparations of state Assemblyman Alex DeCroce, on Monday.

Carter said they reached out to other clergy such as Rev. Jethro James, pastor of Paradise Baptist Church, and Minister Lawrence Muhammad of the Nation of Islam’s Muhammad Mosque #25. Both men spoke.

Besides the service, people were encouraged to bring new or gently used clothes and non-perishable food in order to help the needy.

James also gave a prayer mixed in with some political talk. He talked about Newark Police Director Samuel DeMaio and how clergy and some community members have been working with him since he was appointed.

"We may not agree with all his practices or policies but we pray he can save, along with our help, this city," James said in his prayer.

Rice defended public schools in his speech, talked about the push for charter schools and referred to an unnamed Newark clergy member who had advocated for charter schools - prompting cries from the back of the church for the clergy’s name.

Rice did not divulge the clergy member's identity.

On violence, Payne talked about how he was at a candidate forum one time and was asked what to do about the violence in the city. Payne said he answered honestly that if he knew, he wouldn’t be there and would instead be flying around the country talking about how to stop it all over.

"Collectively, the community, clergy, officials, business community and citizens at hand have to come together to do that," he said, summing up the night’s theme. "I am just here to offer my continued service in that endeavor in making Newark a place we want it to be."

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