After Kerrick decision, Charlotte churches to open doors

Churches in the Charlotte-area will open their doors Friday evening in the wake of the mistrial in the Kerrick case, due to a coordinated effort by the Charlotte Clergy Coalition for Justice.

The church gatherings are designed “to offer people a place to express their feelings, to be able to gather and respond in a more healthy way than we’ve seen in response to similar circumstances around the country,” said Russ Dean, co-pastor of Park Road Baptist Church.

The churches open at 6:30 p.m. Gathering spots are:

▪ Antioch Baptist Church, 232 Skyland Ave.

▪ Little Rock AME Zion, 401 N McDowell St.

▪ Holy Trinity Lutheran, 1900 The Plaza.

▪ Mayfield Memorial Baptist Church, 700 W Sugar Creek Road.

▪ First Baptist Church West, 1801 Oaklawn Ave.

Tensions around a verdict haven’t been particularly high, according to Dean.

“I haven’t had a lot of people calling me to tell me that they’re worried about this, but this is clergy trying to be sensitive and proactive,” Dean said.

Dean’s church will convene at Antioch, along with Myers Park Presbyterian, Sardis Baptist Church, Unitarian Universalist Church of Charlotte and Unity Fellowship.

This story was originally published August 21, 2015 at 11:46 AM with the headline "After Kerrick decision, Charlotte churches to open doors."