As a travel nurse, Arielle Salse has seen more than her share of violence, injustice and death. As a follower of Jesus, she wants to be part of a church that loves their community as Jesus loves her. No matter what.

“My experiences as a nurse have shaped my commitment to equity in the world.  Your zip code or skin color should not dictate how many resources you should have available to you.  As the church we should be at the front of that fight,” she said.

Originally from Los Angeles, California, Salse accepted a job at a local hospital in Columbus. She knew she wanted a church home, so she started looking around. That is when she found Cityview United Methodist Church in Columbus.

Cityview’s pastor, Joe Graves, has his own reasons for wanting to lead a congregation that works to reduce violence and injustice in the city. A few years ago, he was playing in the backyard with his young son. Suddenly, he heard a gunshot coming from a nearby house. Arrests were made and the home was eventually boarded up. Instead of leaving the area, Graves and his family decided to see what they could do to make their neighborhood safer.

When he received an email from the City of Columbus encouraging the congregation to get involved with Columbus Violence Reduction (CVR), he acted immediately. CVR is the City of Columbus’ evidence-based group violence intervention model.   

“Many people in our church have grown tired of watching the news and seeing young people killed in Columbus. Our church couldn’t miss the chance to be a part of the solution,” Graves said.

Evidence shows that a small number of people in gangs and/or groups drive a majority of violence in most cities. Group members typically constitute less than .05% of a city’s population but are consistently linked to 60-70% of the shootings or homicides.

Columbus Violence Reduction (CVR) focuses on those group members at the highest risk of committing violent crime and becoming victims themselves. CVR is dedicated to keeping our residents Safe, Alive, and Free. CVR contracts with Columbus Urban League and Community for New Direction, and partners with a variety of other organizations in this effort.

This includes measures to address trauma, methods to protect group members from harm (such as preventing retaliation, intervening with enemies, relocation, and emergency housing), and ways to provide the “big, small stuff”—low-cost but pressing needs such as transportation, groceries, clearing warrants, and getting state ID. It also offers priority access to traditional services such as job training, housing, education, peer support groups, and substance abuse counseling.

Cityview continues to raise money to meet these low-cost, pressing needs. The church also empowers Graves and interested volunteers to participate in violence reduction events including meeting directly with community members connected with gang/group violence. 

Graves encourages other pastors and congregations to get involved in this work. Similar violence reduction programs are available in larger cities within the state.

“I have seen first-hand how listening and caring for basic needs makes a difference in our community. It can be effective in other cities, too,” Graves said.

As people at Cityview continue to learn more about their neighbors, sometimes it can overwhelm. But, they realize through listening to the stories in their community, helping others to find safe housing and a job that pays a living wage, it can create different outcomes.

“I believe the heart of God is in this work. Our willingness to act, our witness can make a difference,” said Salse.

To learn more about this program, please contact Rev. Joe Graves here.