Crisis-trained chaplains from the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (BG-RRT) are ministering in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, talking with locals and pointing them to a God who gives hope. Many in the Twin Cities are deeply hurting after 20-year-old Daunte Wright was shot and killed at a traffic stop on April 11.
Damik Wright, Daunte Wright's brother, talks with chaplain Robert Roulds on Saturday near where his brother was shot—now a memorial site.
At a makeshift memorial set up for Daunte Wright, chaplains Robert and Frieda Roulds kneel for a moment of prayer on Friday.
Another chaplain prays with a woman waiting in her car.
Chaplains deploy from their homes across the nation to meet communities in the midst of crisis. They listen to stories of heartache and pray with others in their grief. Read more about this Minnesota deployment.
Last year, chaplains Steven and AnnMarie Flores deployed to Minneapolis, just 10 miles from Brooklyn Center, after the death of George Floyd, which sparked a racial justice movement across the nation. "When we tell [the community] we’re from New York, and the whole team is from all over the country, they say, 'You do that for us?'" Steven Flores said. "I say, 'Yeah, this is what Christ does.' We know Christ is always in the middle of disaster."
Chaplains take a moment to pray in front of the BG-RRT's Mobile Ministry Center (MMC), a place for quiet conversation and prayer with members of the community.
Blaring speakers, constant car horns and people shouting became background noise as community members shared their personal stories with chaplains. "When someone is hurting, all they need is a shoulder to cry on," chaplain Will Rosado said. "When I gave [a man] a hug, how did he react? I never met him in my life. ... What did he say? 'I needed that.' That’s what we do when we go to deployments—we are a shoulder to cry on."
Talking to God, hand in hand.
National Guardsmen were stationed in front of the Brooklyn Center Police Department, where a protest occurred Thursday afternoon. The city has issued a 10 p.m. curfew due to rioting that's led to looting, tear gas and rubber bullets. Chaplains stopped to talk with those on duty, too.
Chaplain Charlie Clark talks to 22-year-old Elijah White, who said he prayed a lot after the George Floyd incident last year. He was baptized and grew up in the Brooklyn Center area, so events like this hit him especially hard. "I love this city and being here," White said. "[But] seeing people hurt ... is pretty sad." >> Do you have hope in the midst of pain? Know God today.
Chaplains happened to run into two former Billy Graham Evangelistic Association employees, who were part of the organization when it was headquartered in Minneapolis. The former employees were handing out Gospel tracts to any community members who were interested.
Chaplains welcome anyone who is interested to talk about their experiences, concerns and prayer requests.
Please continue to pray for the Minneapolis suburb, Wright family and Billy Graham chaplains.
