Rock Hill churches unite to share the power of faith

They came from different denominations, different styles of worship, different walks of life.

The goal was for them to leave united, knowing Jesus Christ in a vital, living and personal way.

More than 175 people attended Tuesday’s “Seeking God Together” regional prayer gathering at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Rock Hill.

They sang and they prayed, sometimes lifting their voices all at once, sometimes listening as others offered prayers individually that resonated throughout the room, all offering a heartfelt “amen” throughout the service to punctuate their conviction.

They acknowledged sins individually and collectively. They talked of their own shortcomings and that of a nation torn by dissension resulting from acts of violence, ranging from murders on hometown streets to the slaughter of Christians by religious extremists overseas.

And in the end, Gene Craven, chaplain at Westminster Towers and Tuesday’s host, stood before them to proclaim, “the revival has begun.”

Tuesday’s event was sponsored by an inter-denomination group of Christians who have been meeting regularly to lead the “Church of York County to see God and pray for revival,” Craven said. Tuesday’s event was the fourth the group has sponsored, and the event has moved from church to church each time.

Tuesday’s format was simple: sing, recite scripture and then ACTS – pray for Adoration, Confess sins, pray for Thanksgiving and Supplicate yourself to the Lord.

“God is here, you are here, we are going to have a great time praying,” Craven said. “Because he lives, we shall live.”

The Rev. Ken Watson of Rock Hill Bible Fellowship said that for Christians, the closer they get to the light, there often more is personal darkness.

Confession breaks that cycle, he said, asking people to pray for the spirit to cleanse their heart and to have the “boldness to confront our sins boldly.”

Unity with diversity was one of the graces experienced Tuesday, said participating pastors.

“We all don’t have to be the same; we can pray in different ways, but bring harmony,” said the Rev. Rammy Lybrand of Lake Wylie Lutheran Church.

“The unity was so beautiful, that we could be one in Christ,” Watson said.

Much of Tuesday’s event also included prayers for faith and the strength to rely on that faith, and to stand out when God calls.

“We should be singled out,” said the Rev. Mike Wallace of the York Baptist Association. “We should be distinctive people, our lifestyle is so unique.”

Wallace said that the people who have been called to be in God’s church too often stand and speak of what they are against.

“They need to see what we are for; we need to love and serve people,” he said. “We are called to love, serve and sacrifice.”

God, said the Rev. Dwayne Brown of Mt. Hebron Baptist Church, told his people to ask, seek and knock, and the result is the “most wonderful gift in the world that we cannot provide for ourselves – God himself.”

This story was originally published April 14, 2015 at 11:26 PM with the headline "Rock Hill churches unite to share the power of faith."