The leader of the Adventist Church in North
America said Thursday that he was praying for peace in the Missouri city roiled
by unrest after a white police officer shot dead a black teenager under unclear
circumstances earlier this month.
Daniel R. Jackson, president of the church’s
North American Division, also extended condolences to the family of Michael Brown,
18, and expressed hope that the truth would emerge about what happened on the
night of Aug. 9 when Brown died in Ferguson, Missouri.
“As a part of the larger family of America,
Seventh-day Adventists grieve with Michael Brown’s family and extend our
heartfelt condolences for their tragic loss,” Jackson said in a statement. “We
are praying for our Ferguson community family who are in such great pain.”
The death prompted a national outcry in the
U.S. as well as several days of street clashes and looting in Ferguson.
It remains unclear who was at fault in the
death and whether race played a role.
Jackson suggested that the unrest in Ferguson
was part of a deeper problem.
“We pray that the deeper issues made obvious
by this situation will be addressed with immediacy, courage and effectiveness,”
he said.
