BATON ROUGE – The scene of the deadly shooting of Alton Sterling that shook the nation was a scene of prayer and unity on Thursday. Religious leaders were at the Triple S convenience store where Sterling was killed by police on July 5.

They were determined to tackle an issue they say is haunting the community and the nation.

"Well we're killing ourselves," Elizabeth Eaton, of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, said.

"When a black man's life is taken, we need to feel that in the white community," she said.

Religious leaders from out of state traveled to Baton Rouge to take part in the conversation and offer support. Racial injustice was the focus of their meetings.

"This is not just some academic isolated incident, this is happening to us," Eaton said.

The anger that has been expressed around the nation has demanded leaders' attention and they spent the day behind closed doors discussing what they can do to help address the deep-rooted issue.

"But whatever we can do to strengthen our local congregations in the Lutheran Church ad also reach out to other denominations and say we have to get to know each other," Eaton said.

The meeting on Thursday was just one of many to come where organizers say allows for participants to speak their mind.

"There's a lot of people of faith who want to do something, and we're not sure what to do, so we begin with coming talking listening praying," Robin McCullough-Bade, of  the Interfaith Federation of Baton Rouge, said.