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