MANSFIELD — Nearly 100 people gathered Saturday afternoon at Mansfield Central Park to worship God and pray for unity and racial reconciliation.
Attendees spread out along the square, sitting on benches or underneath shade trees. Many lifted their hands and sang along with worship music. Various pastors and other guests took the microphone to lead prayer — some asking for forgiveness, all asking for God to bring healing and unity.
“Forgive us Lord, for separating ourselves from each other based on culture, wealth, status, skin tone, education, religion, selfishness and insecurity,” Jodie Titus prayed as she stood in the gazebo, microphone in hand.
Pastor Renae Collins of Kingdom Grace Fellowship Church urged Christians to be leaders and set an example in the fight for racial equality and reconciliation.
“We come declaring Father that if there’s going to be change in this nation, that change has to begin with us,” Collins said. “We cry out to you today, Father and we ask you to heal our land of racial injustice, of sexism, of all those things that have divided us. We ask you, great God to bring healing in this land.”
Rev. Eleazer Akuchie shared a vision he received — that God has heard the prayers of his people and is bringing restoration.
“God is opening Heaven over Richland County, over Mansfield,” he proclaimed. “This is Godsfield, this is God’s land!”
Many of the pastors who attended are part of the Godsfield movement, which seeks build bridges between different denominations and churches and “reclaim Mansfield and Richland County for the glory of God” through collective prayer.
“Unity among churches and among people from different dominations and races and backgrounds is something God has been doing in Mansfield for years now,” said Jordon Baker.
“The church that is made new and made one through Christ can stand united against racism and evil and hatred.”
Baker coordinated the time of prayer with Ashley Howell, who got the idea while walking through Mansfield with her sister last weekend.
“God showed me a vision of this whole entire downtown just opening up together, holding hands praying,” she said.
She wasn’t expecting more than 20 people to show up.
“We spread the word that we were coming out to pray and everybody wanted to join with us,” said Howell’s sister, Alecia.
