Dallas Pastor Heads Push for Drug-Free Community Areas

The Rev. Patrick L. Williams of Crest-Moore-King United Methodist Church in Dallas may be critical of President Bush’s drug program, but he is one of a growing number of clergy who are not relying on the government to solve the drug crisis.

Williams is heading an effort in the Texas-New Mexico area to encourage local churches to create four-block “drug-free” areas in their communities, pulling together the expertise of a variety of counselors, therapists, social workers, church workers and other professionals to do the job.

The Dallas minister is Southwest coordinator for the Black Family/Community and Crack Cocaine National Network, a group which grew out of a conference held in April in San Francisco organized by the Rev. Cecil Williams, pastor of Glide Memorial United Methodist Church in San Francisco.

Conference This Month

Patrick Williams, who is not related to the San Francisco minister, said he hopes the program begins to take shape in the Southwest Sept. 22-23, when an organizing conference takes place at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School.

He said the idea of drug-free zones will be tested at the conference, commenting, “I don’t know whether the community is going to buy into it.”

But if that approach that is adopted, then all of the resources of the communities will be brought to bear to completely “turn around” the four-block areas, wresting control from drug dealers.

Thus far, noted Williams, there has been a vast outpouring of support from professionals who work in the drug rehabilitation field. More than 100 have signed up for the conference.

Few From Clergy

The clergy response has not been so encouraging. “I have to be honest with you,” Williams told Religious News Service in a telephone interview. “The response (from clergy) has not been that overwhelming. . . . We’re lucky if we have a dozen.”

Williams explained, “My theory is that the church is in denial in such a big way that it’s hard for us to admit we’re impotent in this area.”

But he is not giving up. He said he plans to send representatives to churches with personal invitations to participate in the program.

In the Dallas area, Williams noted, he plans to flood the area with 23,000 brochures.

“The clergy have not been very responsive, that’s the bottom line, and we’re the ones who should be leading the charge,” Williams said.