George Floyd (Photo from George Floyd’s profile on Facebook.)
Miami Township, Ohio – Loveland Magazine reported yesterday that members of the Epiphany United Methodist Church plan to stop traffic by kneeling in the roadway in silent prayer during rush hour on Friday.
Google Map
Their plan is to kneel and pray for 8:46 minutes at the intersection of Branch Hill-Guinea Pike and Loveland-Miamiville Roads at 6 PM, the amount of time Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on George Floyd’s neck before he died, “…and the many victims before him who have lost their lives to injustice.”
This is the Kroger/Walgreen/United Dairy Farmers intersection.
Miami Township, Ohio – The press release sent out by Lisa Kerwin, a Pastor at Epiphany United Methodist Church says, “On Friday, June 19, Epiphany and other SW Ohio UMC congregations will stop traffic by kneeling in silent prayer, offering peaceful protest and witness for 8:46 minutes to respectfully mark the tragic death of George Floyd and the many victims before him who have lost their lives to injustice.” The plan is to shut down roads at 6 PM this Friday afternoon.
The events are apparently planned around the region, however, the location for the civil disobedience in the Loveland area is the corner of Branch Hill-Guinea Pike and Loveland-Miamiville Roads. This is the Kroger and Walgreen intersection.
The press release calls it a “Peaceful Witness” event and further says, “The Miami Township Police Department and surrounding businesses are invited to attend and/or participate as a show of support.”
Lisa Kerwin is the Pastor of Care Ministries at Epiphany United Methodist in Miami Township. (Church Photo)
Loveland Magazine asked Kerwin, “Have you been given permission by Miami Township Police to shut down the road? Are people prepared to be given citations or go to jail?”
Kerwin responded Friday via email by saying, “We are not going to be arrested. We have police support. They will be there!!”
Loveland Magazine reached out to Miami Township Police Chief Mike Mills, and asked him if the organizers had been given permission to shut down this intersection. He responded this morning saying, “We, the police, cannot give permission to shut down the intersection. There is a process through the Township Government to apply for permits, but it is not a quick process.” Mills said that Kerwin had met with him and that they are reconvening this week to discuss logistics and a plan for a peaceful protest.
Mills added, “We are working with them to keep everyone safe and encouraging a peaceful protest in the right-of-way and the not the roadway.”
Miami Township Police Chief Mike Mills (Township Photo)
Loveland Magazine also asked the Chief, “According to the release, your department has been invited to ‘participate’. Will you or any of your officers join? Will you allow your officers to participate?”
Mills responded this morning by saying, “We will be there to make sure everyone is safe. Sometimes bad actors show up in support of one side or the other and distracts from the cause.”
When asked for his reaction to a plan to shut down the roads, Mills said, “We will support their 1st Amendment Right.”
David Miller is the Editor and Publisher of Loveland Magazine
by David Miller
Loveland, Ohio – This is an interview with the Epiphany United Methodist Church, Youth Pastor Scott Russ, just before he departed to join one of the Prayer Peace Walks that have been organized by Desmon Gault all this week.
The walks through Loveland neighborhoods were in response to the death of George Floyd who died in police custody on May 25 in the Powderhorn community of Minneapolis, Minnesota. While Floyd was handcuffed and lying face down on a city street during an arrest, Derek Chauvin, a white American Minneapolis police officer, kept his knee on the right side of Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds; according to the criminal complaint against Chauvin, 2 minutes and 53 seconds of that time occurred after Floyd became unresponsive.
Inwood Park, Cincinnati OH – Sunday, March 31st, 2020 After a handful of changes in location, the Facebook-organized rally labeled as “Be Heard, Be Safe;…
LOVELAND, OHIO – “Church Ladies Go Topless” is the cover name of a locally produced CD recorded specifically for an auction to benefit the outreach ministries of Epiphany United Methodist Church.
LOVE IN ACTION is one of the ‘care giving’ ministries at Epiphany UMC. Their unofficial label is the ‘Church Ladies.’
They meet once a week, on Tuesday mornings from 9 to 11, to go over the church prayer list and in addition to praying for those in need of God’s grace, they send cards of encouragement.
Once a month they ‘gig.’ A gig is a visit from the church ladies, who have been transformed into older southern-style church ladies of the past, complete with hats, gloves, and sometimes even stockings with seams down the back. They visit those in need of a smile and encouragement. Wigs and too much lipstick bring smiles and laughter wherever they go.
The ladies (who are not typically choir member material), sing a few ditties, and leave a plate of cookies. In addition, Love-In-Action supplies a children’s book to all babies on their first visit to church. They send encouragement to their college students in the form of cards and goodies, and at Christmas they deliver special goodies to approximately 100 individuals. It could be a homemade blanket, a jar of Christmas cookies, or a cheerful wreath. The ministry has many powerful stories of God working through them to bring joy to another.
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