Empowerment Temple flock pitching in for Freddie Gray's funeralBy Joe Burris, Baltimore Sun reporter
Members of Empowerment Temple Church of Baltimore responded to an emotional service Sunday, donating money to aid the funeral expenses of Freddie Gray, whose death in police custody has sparked local protests and national outcry.
With members of Gray's family present, more than half of the hundreds of congregants at the morning service approached the altar and offered alms after Rev. Jamal H. Bryant, pastor at the church, delivered a sermon touching on the Gray family's loss, issues of police misconduct and the demonstrations Saturday that started peacefully but ended with violence.
"I told the family that with everything they're dealing with, I do not want on their plate trying to figure out how to pay for the funeral," Bryant told the congregation. "I told them Empowerment Temple was going to step up to the plate."
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