| THE Archbishop of York has spoken for the first time about when, as the Bishop of Birmingham, during his research into gang culture, he was blindfolded by a gang leader and taken to a secret lair. The episode came after two teenage girls were shot dead outside a hairdresser’s in Aston (News, 10 January 2003).
Speaking to a meeting of Youth for Christ in London on Thursday of last week, Dr Sentamu said that he had later met the gang leader who had blindfolded him. By then, the man had become a Christian. He confessed to Dr Sentamu: “I am the one who gave you such a rough ride.”
The Archbishop recalled the incident because it underlined the importance of going out to meet the gangs. “It is high time the Church, like the preacher of Nazareth, gets out of its buildings. I say to the Church: you have the key, open the door and be out on the street.” Youth for Christ was already doing this, he said.
On Monday, Dr Sentamu explained the background to the encounter. “Following the murders of Charlene Ellis and Letisha Shakespeare in 2003, I moved into the area of Aston, and spent a number of days just being with the community.
“I wanted to help rebuild some of the trust that was lacking, and spent time delivering leaflets, door-to-door, appealing for witnesses to the murders, or those with information, to come forward, or to contact me directly if they had information, but were not comfortable sharing it with the police.
“I was offered the opportunity to spend time with gang members, who said I could meet them, but only on their own terms. This included being blindfolded and driven to a meeting place.”
Dr Joe Aldred, co-author of the Churches Together in England report on gang activity, Who is My Neighbour? (News, 25 July), was present at the Youth for Christ meeting, and praised Dr Sentamu’s courage.
“I commend the Archbishop for being willing to be blindfolded — whether it was wise or not is a different matter — but it reminded me of Terry Waite.”
He warned churches not to condemn gangs. “There are a number of situations where, if you want to engage, you have to take risks. Gangs are not a disease to be eradicated. It is very difficult to go from that position of condemnation to relate to people in gangs in a useful way. If we are attempting to eradicate gangs, that is a futile attempt. God has always used gangs. I believe that Jesus and his disciples were a gang.”
Today, the hip-hop artist Wizdom, leader of the group Green Jade, was scheduled to speak at a church workshop in London on gang culture. “The kids are looking for belonging. I did not consider myself in a gang, but some members did carry weapons, and took and sold drugs, but that was not the purpose. We got together because we loved a particular kind of music.”
The group had changed when one of their number was converted by a colleague at work. His pastor had visited them “in amongst the grass smoke in the flat”, and 14 of them had become Christians.
Wizdom said that church people “need to get out”. “You invite people to parish halls, but you don’t go to where they are. . . I am challenging that mind-set. If we shine our bright light in a dark place, then people will notice it. We need to be seen in the darkness.” |
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