Andre Wright, Staff Reporter
WITH THE annual National Prayer Vigil to be held in the next three weeks, the organising committee is upbeat about the impact of the event. This year's vigil will be held on the lawns of the Ocho Rios Baptist Church on Milford Road in the St. Ann town and is set for a 9:00 p.m. start on December 8.
The Rev. Richard Garel, public relations officer for the event, in an interview with The Sunday Gleaner, said plans are "well advanced" for a successful vigil, as the committee has been meeting weekly in the run-up to the annual event. He said the St. Ann's Bay and Brown's Town churches, as well as the Claremont and Moneague Fraternals, have been working assiduously to ensure that this year's vigil runs smoothly.
Patron of the National Prayer Vigil, Governor-General Sir Howard Cooke, Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, Opposition Leader Edward Seaga and other public officials such as the Commissioner of Police, Political Ombudsman, custodes and members of the Diplomatic Corps are among some of the 3,000-strong gathering expected to turn out on the night. Both Messrs. Patterson and Seaga will read lessons from the Bible.
The prayer vigil, an interdenominational effort, will focus on four main themes: peace, unity, justice and healing. Sermonettes will be presented on each theme.
According to Rev. Garel, "This is the new emphasis, after the recent elections, on the power of prayer; it's not just having a good time, not a media event, but a real serious prayer meeting on the church grounds." In defending the need for prayer, Rev. Garel, who is a family psychologist and pastor of the Family Worship Centre, said, "Can you imagine if the church wasn't praying what our nation would be like? Prayer unites, heals, gives hope, and a spiritual belief is released; hopefully, the media will pick up on it."
Evangelist Errol Rattray, of the Errol Rattray Evangelistic Association, said, "As one who believes in prayer, I have to endorse the prayer vigil in a nation taken over by crime and violence. In a highly religious nation as this, prayer is a powerful tool that Christians have and the world has." He said, "Prayer is not just rhetoric, not just a formality. God, who created us, expects us to commune with him."
But the striking statistics of a country bleeding with over 930 murders this year, citizens gripped by fear, and a limping economy, bring into focus the turmoil of a society where the political superstructure of law and order has collapsed in many communities.
However, Evangelist Rattray insisted that the Christian community continues to have a powerful effect in the area of prayer. "I am one of those who believe the crime rate would be higher and negatives would be worse, if the church was not praying," he said. "If there was a consciousness of God in country and prayer, there would be less hatred, division, practising of evil, prostitution and so on. Prayer changes things."
Rev. Garel told The Sunday Gleaner that the church was still contributing significantly to the nation, especially in the areas of schooling and feeding programmes. "At the end of the service, there will be a 15-minute segment for commitment, and our commitment is not only to pray but to get out there and do what we need to do to get the nation going. We need to work for the betterment of the nation; prayer is not enough, but definitely needed."
The three-hour vigil will end with a candlelight segment. All attendees are asked to be seated by 8:45 p.m. Contributions collected at the service will be in aid of the St. Ann's Bay Hospital.
