Churches across Detroit take stand against Detroit's EFM

Church members to travel through the city to protest Detroit's Emergency Financial Manager

DETROIT – Members of Lutheran churches across Detroit are planning to travel through the rally against the appointment of an Emergency Financial Manager for the city on Sunday.

"Nobody needs to do a lot of homework to identify the issues we face in Detroit," said Kevin Pickett, a life-long Detroit resident and president of Immanuel Lutheran Church. "We see it on our blocks, we watch it on the news, we read it in the paper. It is not acceptable what has happened to us and we must stay together through these hard times."

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"We already have filled a couple of buses with our members," said Rev. Michael Johnson, pastor of Salem Memorial Lutheran Church.  "We are dropping the names on our church marquees and we are all bearing the title of Detroiters and Children of God. It is important on Palm Sunday, as we remember the suffering of Christ, we remember the suffering of our community and assure people God is still here in the city of Detroit."

The announcement comes on the same day Rev. Jesse Jackson was in Detroit calling for residents to hold a nonviolent protest against the appointment of Kevyn Orr as the city's Emergency Financial Manager.

Jackson was joined by Congressman John Conyers and Detroit Councilwoman JoAnn Watson.

They said they are planning to file a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Detroit's EFM law, which takes effect Thursday, early next week.

Jackson said, "Detroit cannot be reduced to a rummage sale."