Lansing-area churches unite against racism through prayer
Kristan Obeng
Representatives of 12 Lansing-area churches gathered on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Saturday evening as part of the Pray on MLK movement, a nationwide prayer and worship protest against racism.
Churches and community members in more than 100 cities participated in the protest, including House of Prayer East Lansing, which took “a stand for what’s right publicly,” according to spokeswoman Rachel Nanzer.
“We hope to bring the church together in unity for justice as well as call attention to the ongoing conversation around racism until we see true and lasting change,” Nanzer said.
House of Prayer East Lansing collaborated with Kingdom Life Church and Spirit of Christ Church to bring the Pray on MLK movement to Lansing. The movement —which started in Ferguson, Missouri — is dedicated to racial reconciliation and restorative justice.
Organizers purposely planned the prayer to coincide with the 52nd anniversary of the first street in the U.S. to be named after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
King was on the mind of the organizers throughout the event.
The prayer began at 6:01 p.m., the time King was killed in April 1968.
Attendees stood together wearing face masks that included words of each person’s choosing, including “unity,” “love” and “justice.”
“Remaining silent in the face of injustice can be deafeningly painful to those who are hurting,” Jessie Still, a pastor at Spirit of Christ Church, said in a release.
“As many spiritual leaders are working to have conversations about racism and bring change to Lansing, we knew it was time for Lansing’s church community to take a united stand in solidarity for justice.”
Participating churches included Advancing God’s Kingdom Ministries, Capital City Vineyard Church, Church of Greater Lansing, City Life Lansing, Epicenter of Worship, House of Prayer East Lansing, Kingdom Life Church, Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church, Redeemed Church of God, Shekhinah, Spirit of Christ Church, Sycamore Creek Church and Walk in Truth Ministries.
To learn more about the Pray on MLK movement, visit prayonmlk.org/
Contact LSJ reporter Kristan Obeng at KObeng@lsj.com or 517-267-1344. Follow her on Twitter @KrissyObeng.
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