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Faith leaders are taking a stand against the spate of violent crimes and murders perpetrated in Kensington and Factreton by hosting prayer meetings in identified hotspots.
On Sunday 12 June, a group of prayer warriors – who identifies as the Kenfac 24/7 Prayer Watch – held an open-air service on the corner of Ventura and Lugmag avenue, calling for “divine intervention”.
The prayer watch consists of a group of inter-church faith leaders who pray for the community daily.
A spate of violent crimes and shootings have been reported in the area in recent weeks.
Denise Atkins, prayer coordinator for the Kenfac 24/7 Prayer Watch, says their aim is to spread a message of hope to the residents.
“Whenever there is a hotspot in the area, the police will inform us. We will then go there with the police to have a prayer session and interact with the residents there. We pray around what we call the gates of Kensington. This includes education (school) gates and park gates.”
Atkins says on Sunday 12 May, they held a gospel march and held an open-air service on the corner of Ventura and Lugmag Avenues in Factreton.
“Although few of the churches attended, we were blessed by the children from the surrounding areas who marched from their homes, carrying banners declaring ‘I love Jesus’ and ‘Jesus loves you’.”
She says prayers went out for all the children, especially a 12-year-old girl who was caught in a crossfire a few weeks ago.
Cheslyn Steenberg, chair of the Kensington Community Policing Forum (CPF), says the biggest crime challenges in the area currently are property-related crime, theft out of motor vehicles and drug-related crime.
Steenberg says it is imperative that residents take ownership of their community and help combat crime.
“As the CPF, we are again urging the community to pull their weight about fighting crime. When you see something, say something. We cannot lay fighting crime solely at the feet of the police; it also needs the help and the energy of the community.”
Steenberg says residents can do this by either joining existing neighbourhood watches or by creating a new one.
Steenberg says the CPF supported the gospel march because “prayers move the hand of God”.
“We know that we cannot do a thing without God. Without God nothing is possible. He allows our neighbourhood watches to patrol and not be attacked. We are protected by His divine power. As the CPF, we are not isolated from the realities of the community. Urge other religious institutions in the community to take hands.”
Atkins thanks all faith leaders who participated and made the event possible.
“We praise God for the brethren of the Assembly of God who led us in praise and for the testimony of a former resident whose life God had turned around. Thank you too to Pastor Keith Daniels for leading us, sharing God’s Word and praying for those who needed prayer.”
She urges more churches to get involved.
“Our community is crying for help. Often we feel we don’t have resources. If we pray together, we will find that. We call on churches to take hands in praying for the community.”
The Kensington Police Station had not responded to media inquiries by the time of going to print.
