Local Church Rolls Out Embedded Pastors Program
By The Association Press
© 2006 The Association Press
-- AP Correspondent Edith M. Learner.
Thursday, May 18, 5 p.m. Austell, Ga. -
Austell, Georgia is a town of 5,452 souls 18 miles northwest of Atlanta. That distance used to be enough to largely insulate it from big city problems. However, as many towns in similar proximity to major population centers have found in recent years, drug-related crime, domestic violence, and small-time organized crime have steadily increased. At his office on Joe Jerkons Rd., Police Chief Bob Starling says: " Some of the sophisticated city criminals think that small town police are just yokels. In some ways, they are right. We needed a new strategy to help protect the community."
What community leaders came up with was an innovative approach to supplement the capacity of the police to focus patrols and investigations by embedding pastors from a local Baptist church with police precincts. The pilot project utilized a grant from the Georgia Department of Human Resources, Division of Family & Children Services to fund the hiring of three Associate Pastors by the Fortified Hills Baptist Church, headquartered on Hicks Road. The new Associates, commonly called "God's Privates," have attended the State Police Academy, and are now accompanying patrolmen, and assisting detectives.
Fortified Hills Pastor Dr. Lee Mayberry says: " We've always said that our goal in the Church is to be all we can be for God. This project is a sincere statement that the Fortified Family is here for the people of this community. We know the town in ways that the police do not, and we think that by providing God's Privates to the force, they can be more potent in their work."
The Mayor's Office is delighted with the extra help. "Our boys are fighting a war with evil every day. Besides getting help with knowing where to find it, they can use the inspiration and protection that this program will provide. Many of our officers are sons of the congregation anyway" said Mayor Joe Jerkons.
Not everyone is pleased with the arrangement, however. University of Georgia Law Professor Nick Redding has been outspoken in his criticism. "This is a clear violation of the State constitution, which prohibits state funding of churches" he states in a brief supporting his suit filed in District Court last month. When asked for comment, the Director of the Division of Family & Children Services, Jake Love, said: "the state made payments to a private company, Faith Initiatives of Georgia, and they are entirely proper, despite arguments by some that the arrangement appears to violate the state constitution. What we're buying is not religious services but social services."
The officers on the beat are nearly unanimous in their appreciation for their new partners. Officer Cody Brighton recently shared his experiences. "I work graveyard, and it is damn spooky out there sometimes. Having a God's Private in the car with me helps me get pumped up and release the fear when I penetrate a criminal's lair. I can really feel the power when he's prayin' in a high-speed chase."
What does the future hold? Chief Starling would like to expand the program, and is considering recruiting students from high-school Bible Study clubs to be interns for the Associate Pastors. "We need a farm league, so we can develop new talent." he said.