In response to nationwide protests and riots, members of the Greer community gathered in City Park to pray. Gerald Williams speaks at a community prayer event at Greer City Park.

A show of unity: Community comes together to pray

Kaelyn Cashman's picture
By: 
Kaelyn Cashman

With protests, riots and lockdowns taking place nationwide, a crowd of around 150 people gathered in Greer City Park to pray last Wednesday night.

Jennifer Mair, who leads fitness classes at Riverside Baptist Church, initiated the community prayer night.

“It was beautiful,” she said. “It was really amazing, people just praying together and praying for our country and our community, that we would be the bridge, that we’d be part of the change, coming together out of the love that God has given us, that we love each other no matter the color of our skin.

“We’re all made in His image,” she said.

Mair said the event was in response to the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who was killed by a Minneapolis police officer at the end of May. Floyd’s death has sparked national outrage and demonstrations.

“With that horrific death, I just got to the point of crying out to the Lord, enough’s enough,” Mair said. “I wanted to be a part of the change, but I really don’t know what to do, just started praying, asking God.”

“Don’t want to throw bricks through windows,” she said, referencing some of the riots that have been happening around the country. “I don’t want to take that route. I want to be part of the change. I really just didn’t know what to do, just praying and asking God. He just said, pray. Bring people together and pray for unity and for justice. Pray against racism that it would end; he just started laying people on my heart in our community in Greer to just come together and pray.”

Mair started reaching out to several pastors in the community.

“I didn’t even know who would show up, was really nervous even to ask, just feeling not qualified, not good enough to lead, but I just knew that the Lord wanted me to do this, reached out to several pastors in our community,” Mair said. “They were like 100% on board, wanted to do this.”

Pastor Gerald Williams with Agape House in Greer led the prayer event along with Pastor Kelly Williams with Agape House, Ryan Pendergraph with Foundry Church and Pastors Peter Hubbard and Nathan Arms with North Hills Church in Taylors.

“In the face of so much hurt, so much chaos, there is nothing like people of different races gathering to listen, to lament and to love,” said Peter Hubbard, Teaching Pastor at North Hills Church. “We cried out to our Father who gave His Son for all races, loves all people and He hears and heals! This was Jenn and Jeremy’s desire for the gathering last night.”

“I loved being able to listen to and pray with many new friends coming from many different perspectives,” he said. “I’m so thankful for the opportunity and look forward to the next one!”

Nathan Arms, Director of Mobilization at North Hills Church, also joined the community prayer night.

“The thing that stood out to me the most was the fact that people who had never met each other, from different backgrounds, were all now laughing, sharing stories, and praying together like a family,” Arms said. “This was a great testament to the unifying work of Jesus.”

“It was a refreshing, sobering, and enlightening night,” he said. “We hope to do this again very soon!”

Mair spread the word about the community prayer via social media, inviting anyone who wanted to come and pray, and area pastors led the gathering.

“We had like 150 people show up,” Mair said. “It was really, really amazing.”

Mair described the evening at the amphitheater in Greer City Park.

“We wanted it in Greer City Park because our heart is in Greer,” Mair said. “We have Whole Fitness in Greer. We wanted to do this for our community.”

“There were people sitting there and eating dinner and had no idea what was about to happen,” she said of their arrival at the park.

As the group began to pray, others joined them.

“I didn’t get to meet the group of ladies; somebody was telling me,” Mair said. “There was a group of ladies that came up, what’s going on here; when she told them, they were just like, what, and prayed together.”

“By the end, people were like, we’re doing this again, right?” she said. “Let’s do it.”

Afterwards, Mair talked with her husband Jeremy about having a community prayer night once a month.

“Prayer is not the last resort,” Mair said. “It’s the first thing we need to do for our country.”

“Racism is not going to end by legislation or laws; it has to start with the heart, the love of God pouring out into people; that’s where it’s got to start,” she said. “Prayer changes things. I didn’t know what to do, just prayed; God said, do this, and I said yes.”

The Mairs plan to coordinate with area pastors for the next one and are asking anyone else interested in joining for community prayer to follow Whole Fitness on social media, including Instagram and Facebook.

“This was really just out of the blue, thrown together,” Mair said. “I’m thinking, once a month, meet at Greer City Park. Let’s just keep praying.”

kaelyn@greercitizen.com | 877-2076

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