By MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / April 28, 1999

GARYVILLE – Members of the community rallied Saturday afternoon in a “Stop the Violence” march in Garyville to show that Christ is the way to combat the violence that is affecting our communities.

The march began at True Light Baptist Church and ended at the Greater New Zion Baptist Church. Along the way marchers sang hymns and carriedsigns stating “Trust in God” and “Stop the violence and live for Christ.”A program was held at the end of the march at Greater New Zion. After anopening hymn, Brittany Ford read a poem “I Can Be Somebody.”The Rev. Roland Morgan addressed the audience. He quoted from Matthew4:18-19, stating that Christ was walking along the river and saw fishermen casting their nets, telling them, “Follow Me and I’ll make you fishers of men.” “That is the greatest challenge ever placed before men,” Morgan said.

“The Son of Man came to seek and save. He had no other goal. Soul winningis the supreme concern of heaven.”Morgan told the congregation that like the disciples who threw down their nets to follow Christ, soul winning should be the most important things in their lives.

“Jesus said to follow Him,” Morgan said. “Too many of us are followingthe world.

“We are afraid of the hard way. We are afraid of the way of Christ. Wehave to say, ‘Yes Lord, I will follow You.'”Morgan went on to say to the congregation that the most important things in their life should not be their work or their lives but to get people saved.

“You are the light of the world,” Morgan said. “Whatever we do, the worldsees us. Why not let the world see us do something good?”The Rev. Byron Clay, president of the A.P. Clay Baptist College, helpedorganized the event.

“Violence is as old as life itself,” Clay said. “Every period has hadviolence. But the message has not changed. The message is that Jesus isthe way.”Clay said another march is planned for Baton Rouge. He said organizers areplanning to return to the River Parishes.

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