WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) – In an effort to put an end to violence, some local churches are coming together to do their part.

Grace African Methodist Episcopal Church is hosting a three-day “Stop the Violence Nightly Revival” series.

The former pastor of Grace AME Church, the Rev. Dr. Otis Gordon, now pastor at Warren AME Church located in Toledo, Ohio, is the featured nightly keynote speaker.

“Certainly in Toledo and certainly in Warren, Ohio, violence is ramped, in fact it’s everywhere. But somehow, we have to assure God’s people that there’s hope. We have to find a way to resolve it, but right now we are speaking to churches that [have] been devastated by our communities being exposed to this degree of violence,” Rev. Gordon said.

A couple dozen people gathered at the church on Thursday, singing, praying and believing for a change.

This is the first series of this kind that the church has done. They decided to join forces with Friendship Baptist Church in Warren.

“We have violence in the community, and especially it’s rising here recently. Why don’t we extend this to the community and speak to the violence also?” said Pastor Quentin White, pastor of Grace AME Church.

“This is community problems. It’s not a problem that’s unique to Grace Church or any one church or any one neighborhood. It’s a city problem, a community problem,” Rev. Gordon said.

Pastor Avan Odom, pastor of Friendship Baptist Church in Warren, believes it will take calling on God to make things better.

“The violence that we see on a continual day-by-day, both in our communities and in our country, the government can’t legislate it, the president can’t resolve it. It will only come through the fulfillment of 2 Chronicles 7:14,” Pastor Odom said.

The services run from Sept. 7-9, beginning at 6 p.m., located at Grace AME Church at 1137 Main Avenue, SW Warren.