02 Apr Gang Activity Around Brooklyn Park UB Church

John Christophel, pastor of Brooklyn Park, UB church (Baltimore, Md.) was interviewed by the Maryland Gazette regarding gang activity in the church’s neighborhood. The article was prompted by a shooting incident near the church.

John said he’s seen an increase in gang activity in the last year. “It is a major issue for us. We built our youth program to have a safe place for the kids.”

The article continued:

In Brooklyn Park, several dozen area youth come daily to the United Brethren afterschool program, which Christophel founded to reach out to at-risk children in Brooklyn Park. He estimates that about 15 percent have ties to neighborhood gangs.

“We’re trying hard to do what we’re doing,” said Christophel, who’s in the middle of building an addition to the church to accommodate more youth. “We’re all trying to target these kids.”