Religion

IMAGES: "We Stand as One" Service Urges Community to Pray and Stand Together For Equality

KSMU

Published September 6, 2015 at 9:39 PM CDT

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"I believe in unity, the only way to achieve peace." The congregation joins hands and reads a declaration of solidarity.

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"I grew up in this church," explains Cheryl Clay, local NAACP president

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The congregation is led in a prayer of peace and solidarity.

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Rev. Emily Bowen-Marler of Brentwood Christian Church leads singing of "Wade in the Water," "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody," and "Let it Be."

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"I believe that together, we can obtain justice." Reverent Phil Snider of Brentwood Church leads the congregation in a proclaimation of solidarity.

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The historic Gibson Chapel Presbyterian Church in Springfield

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Cheryl Clay, president of NAACP's Springfield Chapter, welcomes the crowd of over 150 people.

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"As Fredrick Douglas said, 'I prayed for twenty years but received no answer until I prayed with my legs.' Let us give our prayers legs," says Rev Lammarr Jamerson of New Hope International Ministries.

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“As sisters and brothers and companions, we commit ourselves to compassion. Together, not alone, we pray for peace and solidarity.”

The voices of over 150 people echoed off of the walls of the Gibson Chapel Presbyterian Church in Springfield on Sunday during “We Stand As One: A Service of Prayer and Solidarity.”

The event, sponsored by the Springfield Chapter of the NAACP and The Council of Churches of the Ozarks, included congregational singing, reading of scripture, and reflections from several religious leaders from the Springfield area.

The event focused on the subjects of equality and healing. Rev. Phil Snider of the Brentwood Church led the congregation in the speaking of a solidarity proclamation stating: “together, we can obtain justice.”