Holman United Methodist Church offered ecumenical and interfaith service for councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas on Sunday after being accused of bribery, conspiracy, and fraud.
Holman's interfaith service aimed to support Ridley-Thomas before his corruption trial.
Supporting Mark Ridley-Thomas Before His Corruption Trial
On Sunday, Mark Ridley-Thomas and his wife, Avis, stood before the altar as a clergyman of Holman UMC urged the crowd of several hundred to extend their arms.
MSN reported that some people in Los Angeles may have long since decided that Ridley-Thomas was guilty of the federal corruption charges against him and deserved to have his seat on the L.A. City Council revoked and even worse.
Congregation members stood and extended their hands to a man they called their city councilman, legislator, and friend.
The ecumenical and interfaith service became a prayer that served as a blessing, a pleading, and a call to action.
Faith Leaders Asking for 'Fairness'
Rev. Kenneth Walden, the senior pastor at Holman UMC, stated that people had done much worse and were asking for fairness.
"We're not asking for special treatment," added Walden, as quoted in the report.
Norman Johnson, a convener for the South Los Angeles Clergy for Public Accountability, also expressed his support for Ridley-Thomas' corruption charges.
Johnson and the organization organized the interfaith prayer at Holman.
He explained that the event represented the current state of African-American politics in Los Angeles, and Ridley-Thomas had the full backing of the group during this ordeal.
Per the report, the event began with Walden referencing the 1965 Selma to Montgomery march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama.
He cast the trial of Ridley-Thomas as another hurdle in the lengthy fight for civil rights for African-Americans.
Facing 19 Counts of Corruption Charges
The 19 counts of the indictment against Ridley-Thomas include charges of bribery, conspiracy, and honest services mail and wire fraud. Possible prison time for a conviction ranges into decades.
Yahoo! News reported that the allegations against him originate from his time serving as a Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors member. He was one of five people responsible for allocating the county's $30 billion yearly budget. He also voted on contracts for social services, including child welfare and mental health.
Ridley-Thomas also reportedly voted on Department of Children and Family Services contracts and agreements, probation personnel training programs, and remote mental health care for at-risk kids.
Aside from that, the federal prosecutors accused Ridley-Thomas of 'monetizing' his position and concealing a sexual harassment inquiry into his son, Sebastian, a state Assembly member.
They alleged that Ridley-Thomas orchestrated his son's sudden retirement from the Legislature for medical reasons. They also revealed that he pressured USC for a professorship and a scholarship for his son to preserve the family's political reputation.
Ridley-Thomas also allegedly donated $100,000, through illegal routing, to his son's organization through USC's social work department.
About Holman UMC
Holman UMC is where members worship, gain inspiration through inspired learning, and live the gospel in joyful service.
It is also the mission of the church to invite them into discipleship with Christ to fulfill the great commission.
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