Reverend takes anti-violence sermon to hotel rooftop — even in snowstorm

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Pastor Corey Brooks has been living in a tent, for the last 2 months, on the roof of a building that he wants to turn into a youth center. It is across the street from his church, New Beginings Church, 6620 S. King Dr.Friday, January 20, 2012. | Brian Jackson~Sun-Times

Updated: February 23, 2012 8:19AM

By now the Rev. Corey Brooks, 43, is used to welcoming visitors to the roof of the boarded up Super 8 Motel at 66th and King Drive.

Gov. Pat Quinn has called. So have the Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. Reporters from local and national media are also beginning to flock to the roof where Brooks has taken his stand against the gun violence that has killed so many young black men on the streets below.

“Last year I did 10 funerals for black males under the age of 25 who were being shot and killed by gun violence,” Brooks told me during an interview on Friday.

Brooks is the pastor and founder of New Beginnings Church in the 6600 block of King Drive where 70 percent of the parishioners are first-time church members.

“I wanted to reach people that churches don’t normally reach. I wanted to reach people who have been turned off by traditional churches. I wanted to be able to reach people who thought that church wasn’t for them,” he said.

His ministry has brought him to the epicenter of the city’s violence.

Indeed, it was the funeral for the son of a church member that convinced Brooks he had to do something radical.

“The kids were coming into the church and another set of kids from this area started shooting at them, right in front of the church,” Brooks said.

“It was crazy. Thank God no one was shot. Anytime they are shooting in front of the church and kids are bringing guns to church, that means things have gotten really bad,” Brooks told me.

“I started thinking about what we could do. We were already in the process of buying this motel to turn it into a community economic development center. I thought I couldn’t wait any longer. We need to speed up the process about someone doing something about the gang violence and the guns and young people being destroyed.”

Brooks went up to the roof on Nov. 22 and pitched a tent.

He has vowed not to return to the comforts of his wife and family until he has raised $450,000 to buy the hotel and replace it with a community economic development center.

“We need to do something about [young black males] not having recreational facilities, not having mentoring programs, not having conflict resolution, not having classes where they can learn social skills,” he continued.

“I thought it would bring awareness and attention to these deaths. Out of those 10 deaths, none of them were reported in none of the papers. No one talked about them.”

Brooks needs to raise about $190,000 more to reach his goal.

Friday was a test of sorts.

The winter has been unseasonably dry and mild. But winter stormed in on Friday, dumping a steady stream of snow across the blacktop roof.

Every now and then you could hear the whoosh of snow sliding off his nylon tent. Brooks wore layers of jackets and a brown knit cap covered his head.

“The nights are the toughest,” he said.

“During the day you’ve got the sun and you’ve got the sun rays so it stays kind of warm. But at night it gets cold and lonely. There is nobody visiting and nobody checking to see if you are OK,” he said.

“It’s just me and the Lord.”