On Thursday evening, October 4, 2007, the LaSalle Parish Ministerial Alliance held its monthly meeting. After much discussion and prayer, the pastors of the alliance released the following statement to the Jena Times on October 9, 2007:

STATEMENT FROM THE PASTORS

OF THE MINISTERIAL ALLIANCE

We, the ministers of the LaSalle Parish Ministerial Alliance, wish to express our concerns and hopes respecting the events that have troubled our community this past year. Our unity has been strained by the pressure of divisive forces from without and within, yet our resolve has not been shaken: Our Christian family will grow stronger as we move beyond these events. As the spiritual leaders of this parish, we accept the ministry of reconciliation given to us by God in 2 Corinthians 5:18. We stand together united in this purpose.

We ask God to forgive us for past opportunities lost and to give us wisdom to seek change in the midst of this present opportunity so that our future as a community would be one of peace and prosperity for all. We call upon all Christians to pray for reconciliation in our community. In the spirit of 2 Chronicles 7:14, we humbly call upon God to send us revival to heal our land.

Moving forward as a united Christian brotherhood, we are determined to never allow our community to be divided again through indifference or neglect. We declare that “old things have passed away and all things are become new.” We encourage all believers to strive towards the Golden Rule: To do unto others as you would have them do unto thee. We challenge each child of God to embrace the great commandment of the New Testament: To love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind and to love thy neighbor as thyself.