Donna and Darnell Robinson share their story with other leaders during the night they were commissioned as Milwaukee City Coordinators in late 2019.
Toward the end of 2019 Darnell and Donna Robinson, with the help of their team, renovated and launched a permanent prayer house in the neighborhood they’d been investing their lives into for the last quarter century. Having freshly been commissioned as 24-7 Prayer city coordinators for Milwaukee that October they threw their full weight into setting up a place of retreat with God and prayer for the city. Individuals and groups began finding their way into the house and were inspired to spend hours there engaging God’s heart in fresh new ways. And then...2020 happened.
Anyone reading this will know that this last year has brought challenges like few others, but Donna and Darnell have retained a nimble posture, responding creatively to the pandemic, the racial tension brought on by the death of George Floyd (among others), and an extremely dividing election season.
Donna at Cup Foods in Minneapolis where she and her husband prayed with others and listened as they mourned, as well as helped host a prayer tent nearby.
In May, Donna and Darnell felt a leading to go to Minneapolis with a team of 24-7 Prayer leaders from several different cities the week after George Floyd was killed. As part of that team they were able to spend time listening and praying with other locals and people who were making their own personal pilgrimages to the site of his death, which had essentially become somewhat of a sacred site. They also helped host a 24-7 prayer tent nearby in a parking lot with stations to help folks spiritually process with the Lord and intercede for change.
“City transformation must be measured in decades—not years.” -Jill Weber, Global Convenor for Order of the Mustard Seed and former urban missionary
As African American leaders who’ve been serving faithfully at the street level for 2.5 decades in one of the most racially segregated cities in America, Donna and Darnell carry both a spiritual perspective and authority that are rare and potent for anyone who receives the gift of spending time in their presence. They have deep hearts for the work of reconciliation and are uniquely graced to help see it manifested in their city and the relationships around them. Darnell is a man who goes out of his way to make space to be a listening ear for others and his joy can hardly be contained when he shares stories of individuals and families they’ve seen this last year who were broken apart initially by the sharp political division sweeping the country, but then reconciled after spending time either praying at the prayer house or just having a listening ear to process with there. Family members who’ve disowned each other have even found their way back into relationship. “I've seen a lot of people tiptoe-ing around each other, afraid of what to say. We’re trying to protect ourselves and others. It produces a spiritual anxiety. 2020 has been a breaking down in our society, and in 2021 we're sensing the Lord wanting to build us back up in a new way.“
The Robinsons in front of the house they turned into a permanent prayer house in a neighborhood they’ve been ministering in for 25 years.
Darnell also shared of new conversations and efforts working toward racial reconciliation and understanding happening around the city. Black and white pastors are doing more pulpit swaps, book studies, and having more transparent conversations about how we can understand and learn from one another as different racial experiences in the church. “There’s healing happening among the tribes. White churches are sincerely posturing themselves to listen and asking how they can learn.”
Amidst a year that has been discouraging for many of us, the Robinsons are able to see plenty to be encouraged about, and they are pressing in all the more to see God’s Kingdom come. They’ve just purchased a new bus that is being customized to serve the purpose of a mobile food pantry, art therapy with kids, and prayer outreach in parts of the city where prostitution is prominent. Donna is currently pursuing a masters degree in counseling as they are seeing the need for aid in mental/spiritual health around them is only increasing.
Getting the new bus ready for use as a mobile food pantry, art therapy, and prayer ministry in areas of high prostitution.
Let’s pray with Donna and Darnell as they continue to act as a bridge of relationship for Jesus Kingdom in the city of Milwaukee and seek true reconciliation and transformation.
- Tim Collier