Northeast OKC pastors lead support rally for judge
A group of northeast Oklahoma City church members encircled t he Oklahoma Judicial Center on Thursday to pray and show their support for a local judge facing ouster.
The prayer rally in support of Oklahoma County District Judge Kendra Coleman began about 6:30 p.m. on the south steps of the state Capitol building building before a group of the judge' s supporters walked across the street to the judicial center, 2100 N Lincoln, which services as headquarters for the Oklahoma Supreme Court.
Coleman was removed from the bench Friday after a trial before the Court on the Judiciary, which found that she committed oppression in office, violated the Code of Judicial Conduct and violated ethics reporting rules.
The Rev. John A. Reed Jr ., leader of the Concerned Clergy for Spiritual Renewal, and the Rev. Derrick Scobey said the prayer rally was planned to show the community that Coleman has the support of many of the residents of the northeast metro who elected her to serve.
Reed said about 200 people attended the event and he thought others would have shown up if COVID-19 had not been a concern. Coleman attended the event, but Sc obey told the crowd that she would not be speaking.
The judge visited with many of her supporters, hugging some of them and listened to the prayers and gospel music that were featured.
Both Reed and Scobey said they each testified on Coleman's behalf during special court proceedings earlier in the week.
Scobey, senior pastor of Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church, said he was pleased that the rally brought people together to pray for Coleman and the proceedings under way at the judicial center concerning her future on the bench.
“We believe that the court needed to see that Judge Kendra Coleman still has the support of the Oklahoma City community, certainly this district,” Scobey said.
The two ministers asked other pastors serving as prayer captains to go to different positions outside the judicial center where they led prayer to groups of people in their vicinity.
The Rev. Teron Gaddis, senior pastor of Greater Bethel Baptist Church, led a prayer for one group.
“Lord, we lift up Judge Kendra Coleman. Although we may not understand all things, we know that she belongs to You ,” G add is said. “Father, we are appealing to a higher court right now.”
Reed encouraged t he crowd to continue praying for Coleman as her trial was expected to wrap up soon.
“Those of you who are here, you are representing the whole Northeast community and the Spencer area,” he said. “We don't want to stop praying. We want to continue our prayer.”