Minister gives youths direction
with his four-point formula for life
Bob Battle will never forget growing up
in Mississippi, the son of a Pentecostal minister. And most certainly he will never forget
the night in the early 1950s when a 14-year-old African-American
boy, Emmet Till, was dragged out of his grandfather's house in
Greenwood, Miss. His crime: winking at a white woman. Battle, who is also African-American, thinks
now it may have been a setup. Till was a kid from Chicago and
perhaps a bit mentally challenged. Within hours Till was being
dragged toward the river. Two white men castrated him and threw
him in the water. His lifeless body washed up on shore hours later. Eventually Battle moved to Minnesota. He
became a preacher in the Church of God in Christ, which was the
denomination his father served. And he never forgot Emmet Till. That's one reason Battle is still laboring
to help Twin Cities teen-agers move through society toward a higher
calling. He is the director of MTV ministries (Motivating Teens
to Victory). He is convinced there is a four-point proven formula
for life. "First, they have to find the spirit
of God," Battle said. "I preach to them and teach them
the Ten Commandments. They have to know right from wrong. "Second, they have to know that their
family life is broken. (If, for instance,) the father is gone,
the mother is stressed out. They need help with their homework.
They need direction. "Third, the entire family needs discipline.
For instance, when many families buy Christmas presents, they
spend their money emotionally. Instead of buying gifts they can
afford, they buy designer clothing and the most expensive toys.
We teach them to spend their money in a disciplined way. "Fourth, they need education. We help
them get their GED. We help parents get on their way to college." Battle also shares his attitude toward others.
"It's because of my father. He would say, `Treat a man like
a man until he treats you differently.' " Many large companies in Minnesota offer
support for his ministry to teens. "I tell company executives, it costs
$30,000 to $40,000 to keep a person in prison for a year. But
it only takes $10,000 to teach him a better way." Battle centers his ministry in a church
- Central Park United Methodist in St. Paul - because he wants
young people to see a larger purpose in life. The Rev. Jo Campe, pastor of Central Park,
wants to make his congregation helpful to the urban community.
The congregation is across busy Jackson Street from Regions Hospital,
a large public health facility that serves Ramsey County. Regions Hospital rents space from Central
Park Church which, because of an unfortunate location, has recently
had a steady decline in membership. But the revenue from Regions
Hospital makes other ministry possible. Campe said his church
council granted Battle rent-free space in the building. "I'm looking to see the cross,"
Battle said. "If you go in a church, you get the spirit of
God on you. It's like walking in the rain. You get wet. I'm not
hung up on denominations. I'm hung up on the Ten Commandments." Battle's enthusiasm and evangelical fervor
may put off more traditional believers but he is a proven factor
in the culture of Minnesota. Over the years, his name has popped
up in many civic endeavors including chairmanship of the St. Paul
Human Relations Council. And he understands how important it is
to have adult black mentors working with young people. "We act as a bridge," Battle said.
"These kids have seen so many white mentors, and in their
minds, white people are the enemy. But they see a black man and
they think, maybe he will be different." Battle works with 15 to 20 young people
at a time, offering them all the guidance they need to find a
better life. On the one hand, Battle worries about limiting God,
but, on the other hand, he knows his limits. "I believe in miracles," Battle
said. "It is a vast problem, but so was the Red Sea, and
God gave Moses what he needed to get across to the promised land."
Clark D. Morphew
Posted For April 8, 2000