Bermuda’s churches should close their doors for a month and instead “knock on every door in Bermuda” to reach out to gang members and their families.That’s the view of preacher Scott Smith who has counselled many people caught up in gun violence, but does not believe the wider religious community has done enough.“I just feel compelled as a Christian leader. The Christian churches are not doing half as much as they need to be doing,” said Mr Smith, 44, from Sandys. “Our message as a body of believers is to spread love. How can you spread love? The church needs to go out in the highways and byways.”Mr Smith would like to see each church take a neighbourhood on, hitting the streets and talking to the people. He knows it may be a difficult task. “Some church members are affiliated with the members of the gangs. They’re their cousin or nephews.“But I call on all the churches in the entire Island; if you are not interested in allowing Bermuda to become another New York City, which has murders every so many seconds as far as I know, I’m calling for the churches to come out for one month. No services at all. Close the churches down and knock on every door in Bermuda.“Ask them what your church can do for you. Groceries? Electricity bills? Counselling? The church can help with those things.”He believes the churches have not done this due to a combination of fear and uncertainty.“They’re afraid. We’ve never been confronted with this behaviour and we probably don’t have the tools to deal with it. We do need professional help such as psychologists,” he admitted.However, he is in no doubt that now is the time to act.“We have to take some drastic measures. There’s a whole lot we have to do and we don’t have much time to get a handle on it. Most people will say it’s out of control now. They are starting to shoot at the police,” he said, in reference to the weekend’s violence on Rambling Lane, Pembroke.“To the churches I would say; ‘if you have been doing the same thing over and over again and not getting results, try something different’.“The Christians have answers the community are asking for. The answers are really that these guys just want to be loved and accepted.”Asked if he feels churches will be receptive to his message he replied: “Probably not, but if they want to meet about it, give me a call.”Mr Smith is not an ordained Minister, but is a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the gang-blighted neighbourhood of Glebe Road, Pembroke.He is a reformed drug user who found salvation in religion after becoming an addict at the age of 12, starting with marijuana and moving on to alcohol, cocaine and crack.“I eventually cried out to God for help. I never went to any rehab,” explained Mr Smith. He quit drugs on New Year’s Eve 1994 and has been clean ever since.He is active as a preacher in the Island’s schools, prisons and rehabilitation programmes and also runs his own business as a painter and decorator.“This generation coming up now, I used to hang with their fathers. I like to be a father figure to them,” he explained.Although he found his own way to the church, he acknowledged that most people living on the wrong side of the tracks are not going to make the first move towards spiritual healing.“We have to have something to compel them to come. You can’t say ‘come to my church and let’s have fun.’ That’s what we have been called to do,” he said.In order to spread his message of love into the community, Mr Smith is also spearheading an initiative to hold candlelit vigils in memory of each and every one of the 13 men shot dead since May 2009.Services have already been held in memory of Colford Ferguson and James Lawes.This weekend, a vigil will be held on Saturday at Victor Scott School, Pembroke, to mark the one-year anniversary of the death of Kimwandae Walker.On Sunday, a vigil will be held at Woody’s bar, Sandys, to mark the birthday of Frederick Maybury. All are welcome to attend the events, which begin at 7.30pm.Anyone who wants further information or to discuss taking church work into the community can call Mr Smith on 531-7070.