Pastor: Don't let recent violence in Cleveland stop you from visiting downtown

One week after a shooting in Public Square injured two teens, a Cleveland church pastor is asking visitors and residents not to allow the recent violence to stop them from going downtown to enjoy the holiday season.

The Old Stone Church has been a fixture in Cleveland since the 1800s. Every year, Pastor Stephen Blonder Adams says the Christmas season and the extra services and holiday events that come with it brings more visitors to their doors.

“Even people who aren’t Christian often come to the Messiah because of the beautiful music,” Adams said. “It’s more intimate and the spiritual nature of it takes you to a new place.”

But this year, Adams worries the recent violence will stop visitors from enjoying festivities and services like the Old Stone Church's upcoming Messiah concert this Sunday at 1 p.m.

“There’s this myth that downtown Cleveland is this dangerous place,” he said. “It’s not targeted at any of the general public. I’ve not seen anything like that happening in downtown Cleveland.”

The church was open last week when police say two teens were shot in Public Square following the WinterLand celebration. Cleveland police officers were patrolling the area on foot after the tree lighting ceremony when they responded to a group of teenagers actively fighting and found the two gunshot victims.

Read: https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/crime/pastor-dont-let-recent-violence-cleveland-stop-visiting-downtown/95-74eb440a-4c38-44a1-9cec-b4bd6e327e32 --

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