Baton Rouge pastor locks himself in prayer room, aiming to heal crime surge

Amidst the surge of crime in Baton Rouge during the pandemic, one local pastor aims to bring healing through the power of prayer, WAFB reports.

Bishop Dwight Pate of Church Point Ministries established a prayer room in the 90s to combat crime and drugs, hoping for a similar miracle now.

Speaking of the crime increase in Baton Roughe, Pate stated to WAFB, “…the only place it can be solved is in the church. And the teaching and the loving of God’s people. So, I believe that prayer can change the hearts of the individuals that’s creating all the violence in town.”

Locked inside his prayer room since May, Bishop Pate believes that the church and prayer can change the hearts of those causing violence in the city. The prayer room, once a used car lot he bought in 1981, has become the center of his mission.

“There’s going to be such a move of God among people. There’s going to be such a move of some of the most violent people in this city instead of going out killing, robbing and hurting people bringing peace and joy and victory and forgiveness and love that you’re going to have to come out and report it,” Pate told WAFB.

In previous instances, he opened the room for people to receive holy oil and to address the pain of the elderly. Now, he plans to distribute 200,000 bottles of holy oil to the community. Bishop Pate has learned from his 44 years of ministry that God works in mysterious ways and when he leaves the prayer house is ultimately in God’s hands.