Pray for Our Police
by Terrence G. ClarkIt was a solemn assembly. Some fought back tears. Others smiled. All bowed their heads in thanksgiving and reverence. Police Officers in the twelfth largest New Jersey city received more than their daily dispatching and updates from their staff sergeant but a reminder from the Holy Spirit.
Despite the times, there wasn’t any protesting. Instead of fist-waving at them---hands were lifted for them. Projectiles thrown from the outside were replaced with praises and prayer from the inside. Confrontation was replaced with confirmation. Harsh words of anger and slurs were replaced with voices of gratitude. A group of prayer warriors interrupted the 11 A.M. roll call of Camden County Police Department housed on 800 Federal Street, Camden. Min. Parthenia Dixon-National Day of Prayer NJ State Coordinator & GateKeepers Ministries International, Minister Mary – NDP PA Coordinator for Eastern PA & GateKeepers Ministries International, Min Tangela Lane – NDP Camden County NJ Coordinator & GateKeepers Ministries International, Minister Nicole Nance – GateKeepers Min International, Pastor Eric Zeidler (CTF-TV Network), Rev. Terrence Clark – The Glory Cloud publications were the visiting team. They were hosted by Assistant Chief Carlin, Lt. Roberts, Sgt. Wilkes, Chaplain Barron CCPD. The assembly was received as an assignment by the NDP NJ Coordinator and coordinated this day, in Camden, through the force’s Chief of Police Joseph Wysocki. It wasn’t a part of the yearly program of the NDP organization. It was a 2020 current calling direct from God. The National Day of Prayer, as an organization, manages the commitment of the United States to a time of national prayer, currently observed on the first Thursday of every May. The day’s inception dated back to President Harry S. Truman in 1952. The prayer team was greeted in front of the station and escorted through the building, warmly welcomed at every stop. After a briefing, the group was escorted to the back parking lot to meet and bless the waiting officers. Like Everyone Else Earlier, she was upset, admitted Parthenia, like everyone else, over the incidences surrounding George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others. She thought that those police officers involved had gone too far. Unbiased in judgment, she had been married to one for over eighteen years. She also watched on TV with the rest of the world, the violent aftermath. She recalled seeing citizens doing everything to intimidate the police, including starting fires and throwing cans of soup at the officers’ heads. Also, one week before the NDP summit, NDP NAL, Pastor Gwen Bradley, from Alabama, had the Chief Of Police on a NDP conference call expressing the offenses against police officers. |
“I heard their cry,” said Parthenia. She was referring to the viral video of the officer in Georgia, fearing her food order had been tampered with. ‘I said, who's standing up for the police officers.’”
The Assignment
“On an evening after, I was preparing for the National Day of Prayer Summit. (Minister Dixon has served as her state coordinator since 2010 and county coordinator 14 years prior.) God just dropped a word into my spirit. He said, ‘Go to all 21 counties, in New Jersey, meet up with the appointed county coordinators, set it up where you can go with them and pray for the police officers.’” She was ecstatic.
The following week, like most of 2020 conferences, the NDP Summit convened online. Four hundred attendees camped out on Zoom. Parthenia was given the opportunity to share her God given vision to several breakout groups. She was first surprised by the lack of insight into praying for the police. She was also pleasantly surprised by how her God induced vision was welcomed and began to spread. One after one, hearers expressed a desire to take the assignment to their territories. The concept caught the ear of NDP Leaders, Mary Bruce, (Mississippi) Rick and Robin McLaughlin, (Maine) and also Cheryl Russell, (Rhode Island).
“On an evening after, I was preparing for the National Day of Prayer Summit. (Minister Dixon has served as her state coordinator since 2010 and county coordinator 14 years prior.) God just dropped a word into my spirit. He said, ‘Go to all 21 counties, in New Jersey, meet up with the appointed county coordinators, set it up where you can go with them and pray for the police officers.’” She was ecstatic.
The following week, like most of 2020 conferences, the NDP Summit convened online. Four hundred attendees camped out on Zoom. Parthenia was given the opportunity to share her God given vision to several breakout groups. She was first surprised by the lack of insight into praying for the police. She was also pleasantly surprised by how her God induced vision was welcomed and began to spread. One after one, hearers expressed a desire to take the assignment to their territories. The concept caught the ear of NDP Leaders, Mary Bruce, (Mississippi) Rick and Robin McLaughlin, (Maine) and also Cheryl Russell, (Rhode Island).
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Instructions
The whole vision included a bull horn, a banner---praying hands, an eagle, with a blue background, and the tag ‘Pray For Our Police’ was designed by Parthenia and her daughter to emblematize the vision. For ministerial accountability and approval, Min. Parthenia took both the vision and the pennant to her pastor Dr. James Treadwell. When he looked at the banner, not only did he approve, he committed himself to attend some of the assemblies.
Min. Tangela Lane has been working with Parthenia as NDP Camden County Coordinator for the last ten years. She was also one of the team members who prayed over the police, in the lot, on October 6. She prayed Psalms 91:10 as part of her blessing
The whole vision included a bull horn, a banner---praying hands, an eagle, with a blue background, and the tag ‘Pray For Our Police’ was designed by Parthenia and her daughter to emblematize the vision. For ministerial accountability and approval, Min. Parthenia took both the vision and the pennant to her pastor Dr. James Treadwell. When he looked at the banner, not only did he approve, he committed himself to attend some of the assemblies.
Min. Tangela Lane has been working with Parthenia as NDP Camden County Coordinator for the last ten years. She was also one of the team members who prayed over the police, in the lot, on October 6. She prayed Psalms 91:10 as part of her blessing
There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
She acknowledged that not only she but her whole church, GateKeepers International (Parthenia’s church, also), are admonished to pray daily for the police.
“We have been taught to pray for the police department, specifically Camden, because our ministry has a focus and a heart for this city. We've been praying for the police since our church existed, decreeing Camden, the City Of Saints. We pray for specifically for their safety, for the safety of their families---in their homes, and their safety when they're on duty. We pray for them to have wisdom while they're doing their jobs. We do try to focus on them, specifically as individuals. |
Nicole Nance, candidate for freeholder, for Camden County, also a member of GateKeepers, was instrumental in setting up the initial prayer day. “She's meeting with the police, the police chief, the Lieutenant, all that group, all the time. They're always Zooming together,” reported Parthenia.
The officers themselves did not know what was going on. They were just told, at 11 o'clock, to assemble in the back lot. When I walked back there said Parthenia, and stood on that top step, looked down, and saw all those police officers, I thought, this is the vision...right? |
“I also didn't know that they already had a Bishop on their team.” She was referring to Bishop E.M. Barron—Camden County Police Chaplain.
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WFIL/WNTP Senior Media Strategist and NDP PA Regional state coordinator, Mary Campbell, who coordinated the area’s first NDP event, was first to offer a heavenly petition first for the gathering.
Assistant Chief of Police Carlin was highly appreciative of the gathering. He acknowledged that the officers were blessed to know they had others standing in prayer for them. Chaplain Bishop LM Barron praised God being very vocal about the impact of the day's blessing. Pastor Eric Zeidler from CTF TV and myself also represented the media. |
All of the visiting prayer team were ordained ministers of some rite inwardly wearing the badges of their profession of faith. On a cool, autumn morning, this team openly blessed and thanked those who wear their badges outwardly and biblically (Romans 13:4) are also ministers of God.
Many say it will take Holy Spirit revival in the church to restore the world, this nation---its communities, to God. Others say it’s more. They say reformation is needed. Reformation is God affecting not only church but also the state. It’s true, the spiritual accountability of a nation rests on the house of God. Nonetheless, all the houses of influence---such as our police departments, they need our prayers. |
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