‘Fugitives’ to Surrender at Bible Way
By Ed Laiscell
WI Staff Writer
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Men and women with outstanding warrants are being encouraged to surrender at Bible Way from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. this Thursday through Saturday. They will have an opportunity to meet with attorneys, court officials, and to appear before a judge – all in one location.
The program, which is part of the Fugitive Safe Surrender initiative, will be hosted by Bible Way Pastor Apostle Paul Silver and other ministers at his church.
The Fugitive Safe Surrender initiative began two years ago at Mount Sinai Baptist Church in Cleveland, Ohio. In the three days of the program, more than 800 people voluntarily surrendered. Over 300 of them had outstanding warrants.
When Silver heard about the Fugitive Safe Surrender program, he had no second thoughts about whether he and the church should get involved. He immediately decided to make Bible Way available for the program.
“When I first heard of it from Bro. Lavelle Jenkins, it touched me,” he said. “I had no reservations and jumped on it right away.”
Pastor Silver called a meeting with attorneys Yvonne Williams and Alicia Terry, leaders in the church’s prison ministry and drug ministry. “They were in complete agreement immediately” with the proposal, he said.
Nelson Enrique Sosa couldn’t wait until Thursday. He showed up at Bible Way Monday afternoon and met with Jenkins. “I went to court last year to let them know I was not the person on the warrant,” Sosa said. “I received this notice from D.C. Superior Court to report here on Thursday.”
Sosa showed Jenkins his driver’s license and Jenkins noted that the names on the warrant and the driver’s license are close, but do not match. Jenkins assured him that he can clear up the matter on Thursday when court officials will be available.
Paul Quander, director of the D.C. Court Services and Offenders Supervision Services Agency, noted the need to host such an event at a church. There is a great “distrust” in the Black community of law enforcement agencies.
“We are inviting men and women who have outstanding non-violent warrants to turn themselves in Nov. 1-3 at Bible Way Temple. They will be given favorable treatment,” Quander said.
“We believe they will turn themselves in to a well-established church in the community.”
Quander said since the initiative began, thousands have responded, and more than 90 percent of the participants were released to go home. “Some even had their matters immediately resolved,” he said.
Apostle Silver said the church would also provide spiritual support to everyone who turns himself or herself in.
“We will be available to work with everyone who comes,” Silver said. “This is another opportunity for us to broaden our ministry. It gives us an opportunity to minister to them in a spiritual sense – how to get saved, stay saved, and stay out of trouble.”
Pastor Silver, recognizing the significance of the program and the magnitude reached out to other spiritual leaders in the community. He immediately received full support from Bishop C. L. Long, pastor of Scriptural Cathedral, and Rev. Walter Fauntroy, pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church.
“I meet a lot of people on the streets who are ex-offenders between the ages of 18 to 25 who are ready to surrender,” said Bishop Long, explaining his support.
“Many need the courts to drop charges so they can get a job. We are asking those who have non-violent warrants and have no history of crime to turn themselves in at Bible Way. We feel offenders trust faith-based institutions rather than the criminal justice system.”
Long said members from Scripture Cathedral’s prison ministry will work with ministers at Bible Way this weekend.
“I hope everyone in the city who needs our help will come,” Silver said. “We will pray with them in the chapel before they go before the judge.”