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Mercer churches join forces to fight drugs
By Jim Niemijniemi@herald-leader.com
HARRODSBURG — Motivated by what they perceive to be an epidemic of illicit drug use in their communities, churches in Mercer County are joining forces to combat the problem.
”The high amount of drug use has helped us cross denominational lines,“ said the Rev. Mark Thompson, senior minister at Harrodsburg Christian Church.
To kick off their effort, they are expecting thousands of people to participate in a March for Transformation, to be held in Harrodsburg at 1:30 p.m. May 10.
Marchers will gather at four compass points on the outskirts of the city and converge at the courthouse to sing and raise awareness of the drug problems in their community.
”The drug culture here is epidemic,“ said Jack Coleman, a Harrodsburg resident and former state legislator. ”We're hoping for 3,000 to 4,000 people at the march. ... We're hoping it's a really big traffic jam in Harrodsburg on May 10.“
Thompson said churches often resist working with one another. ”I've only been here eight months, but it's been my experience with churches in general that diversity and doctrine keep them very much separated, not coming together under any umbrella.“
He thinks recent personnel changes at many of Mercer County's 82 Christian churches have helped them to unite.
”In the ministerial association, there's been a lot of staff turnover. Now they are more willing to come together.“
And there is strength in those numbers, Thompson said. ”We (at Harrodsburg Christian) average 170 people a week, and it's impossible to get anything done by ourselves. We're all united by Christ anyway.“
The march also will provide an opportunity for people to continue to support the effort to curb drug use.
”We've got 20 groups coming to set up tents for people to volunteer to get involved in the process,“ Thompson said.
Those efforts will include:
■ A court watch program, in which volunteers keep watch on indictments and count how many warrants are actually served. The program also calls for monitoring court cases from beginning to end to ensure that verdicts are just. Coleman said Mercer volunteers will work with Operation Unite, a federal drug eradication program operating in southern and Eastern Kentucky.
■ A Court Appointed Special Advocacy program, in which volunteers guard and protect the interests of youngsters whose family members are jailed. ”In many cases, children end up being pawns in families or social services,“ Coleman said.
■ First Priority, a program based in the schools, where students gather four times a month before the school day begins to talk about faith-based issues. Coleman said the program is led by students and supported by faculty. ”It's big in Burgin, and in development in Mercer,“ he said.
■ Lifeline Ministry, a faith-based, 12-step program to help addicts recover.
The Rev. Greg Warren, minister of Carpenter's Christian Church in Harrodsburg since 2003, sees value in the multiple programs.
”They all work together. We've tried just political ways in the past, throwing money at the problem, and it just didn't work,“ he said. ”By combining spiritual programs with law enforcement, we're hoping to make an impact.“
Thompson has a vision for a drug-free Mercer County.
”Wouldn't it be great if babies in this county never hear the word meth? It's just taking our kids.“