Jeanie Patterson and Lorie Peeler join hands and pray during a National Day of Prayer service at the Bell Tower in Salisbury. Photo by Jon C. Lakey, Salisbury Post.

Brent Barker, associational missionary, Rowan Southern Baptist Association, right, leads a special prayer with James Mills, youth pastor from Franklin Baptist Church, for the young people during the National Day of Prayer. Photo by Jon C. Lakey, Salisbury Post.

Just before the end of the service for the National Day of Prayer at the Bell Tower in Salisbury. A special prayer for the young people was offered up which moved Duane Broyles to his knees. Photo by Jon C. Lakey, Salisbury Post.

By Seth Leonard

news@salisburypost.com

In observance of the 58th annual National Day of Prayer, the Rowan Southern Baptist Association held a prayer service Thursday at Bell Tower Park in the 200 block of West Innes Street.

The hour-long service, part of a nationwide effort, was meant to benefit local people and institutions. The National Day of Prayer Task Force heads up organization for the movement.

Pastor Brent Barker, associational missionary for the Rowan Southern Baptist Association, led about 50 people in prayers focusing largely on local leaders, law enforcement officers and military servicemen and women.

The downtown service was held in concert with similar gatherings in China Grove and at Salisbury Academy.

Quoting from the Bible, Barker insisted the crowd "seek the Lord while he can be found." He explained it is up to everyone to help revive the nation and economy, and likened prayers said in support of those goals to "laboring for the kingdom."

In addition to prayers, the service featured several songs and a local oratory champion.

Alyce Lentz of Franklin Baptist sang "I Can Pray," Tinsley Merrell gave her rendition of "Amazing Grace" and Adam Broyles, of North Hills Christian School, sang "I Am Blessed."

Michael Jones, also of North Hills, winner of the Optimist Club's oratorical contest, delivered his speech in which he said "faith" is his definition of optimism.

Youth Pastor James Mills, formerly of Franklin Baptist Church, was pleased to see that many of those in attendance were from congregations other than his own.

"It's good that we are together," Mills said. "Things like this bring people together from different faiths. It kind of breaks down the walls."

Mills stressed the importance of inclusion in these times, saying that when the church turns people away for not meshing with archaic customs, the community loses. According to him, about 85 percent of young people quit practicing their faith after graduating high school. Mills warned that unless more prayer and action occur, the youth of America risk being washed away by a "deluge of secular and sinful things."

The Rowan Southern Baptist Association looks to bring more people young and old into its fold with the Rowan Reach program this summer. The goal is to knock on more than 17,000 doors in the county to witness to residents about their faith in Jesus. That initiative runs July 18-22.

Aside from fostering a fervor for prayer, the goal of the National Day of Prayer is to intercede through prayer on behalf of the "seven centers of power," which are government, military, media, business, education, church and family. The theme of the brief meeting reflected that prayer is America's best hope.

The Day of Prayer initiative is a product of the Truman administration in 1952. The idea was to inspire people of all faiths to pray for their nation. The Task Force admits that it best represents the Judeo-Christian elements of American faith and urges followers of different religions to observe the day in the manner that suits them.

Salisbury Post intern Seth Leonard is a journalism student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.