Unrest in Ferguson, Missouri reminds Pastor Paul Benjamin of protests following the shooting of Trayvon Martin in Sanford back in 2012.
Luckily, those protests in Sanford remained peaceful; which has not been the case in Ferguson since Monday night.
“It’s sad to see that kind of response,” said Benjamin, who leads the Central Florida Dream Center in Sanford.
Pastors in Sanford say they believe by talking to one another, they were able to prevent violence following the shooting of Martin and acquittal of George Zimmerman. They believe they can serve as a model for religious leaders in Ferguson.
“I think a lot of the systemic things that were done helped to mitigate some of the aftermath that could have happened here in Sanford,” said Benjamin.
Sanford pastors said back in 2012 they talked to one another, and then passed that communication down to their congregations. It was something they said that ultimately led to a more peaceful response.
Pastor Benjamin said he plans to lead a team of pastors and other religious leaders from Sanford on a trip to Ferguson. He hopes the group can council local religious leaders there on how to try to heal and unify the community.
“We plan to make a trip and spend some time in prayer with them, and share some strategies about what worked here and what God can do in Ferguson,” said Benjamin.
But the group is holding off on the trip – at least for a few more days. They said right now it’s just not safe enough to hit the streets of Ferguson. They’re hoping to make the trip sometime before Christmas, and believe the city will be safer once the first wave of violent protest subsides.