Chattanooga TN PeaceKeeper's

Chattanooga: Officers’ Bible studies help save Main and Mocha

Saturday, January 31, 2009
By: Jacqueline Koch

Multiple Bible studies resurrected Main and Mocha from near-closure last September. When business at the small coffee shop at the corner of Main and Market streets slowed to a drip, its owners — Chattanooga police officer Karl Lewis and his wife — asked God for help. "Literally since that day, there have been dozens and dozens and dozens of Bible (study participants who) have shown up," Officer Lewis said. "It’s sustaining itself and growing little by little."

The local chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Peace Officers hosts one of the newest Bible studies there. Three weeks ago, the group began meeting each Monday for java, discussion and prayer, as well as studying from "The Peacekeeper," a Bible study book designed specifically for law enforcement.

Members are not limited to the Chattanooga Police Department, but include Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Erlanger hospital officers, among others. Officers stress that not only is living as a Christian compatible with working as a cop, it’s also necessary. But no one is advocating passive, meek officers who allow people to get away with wrongdoing, said Sgt. Phil Headden, who attends Monday meetings. "You can still do your job and do it aggressively, because there’s Scripture to back it up," he said. Officers focus on a verse from Romans 13 that describes how rulers are necessary and meant for good, and that those who do good need not fear authority. "For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong,’ the verse says. "He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer."

"In other words, we’re here to do good," said Paul Lee, who is president of both the local chapter of Fellowship of Christian Peace Officers and the national organization and a retired police department captain from Chattanooga. "For some reason, people kind of get that confused, probably because of TV."

Last Monday, about 20 members were at the coffee house, offering prayer requests for injured, ill and recently fired officers and deputies and sharing praise items, testimony and stories from their jobs. "We’re all like-minded, we all see the same things," Mr. Lee said. "A lot of times, police can’t talk to anybody else. They don’t want to talk to anybody else about what they see ... but guys get together, so why not do it under the blanket of Christ?"