SUMTER, S.C. — Many gather in Sumter to pray for the country.
The Sumter Leaders of Faith, a group of pastors and church leaders formed back in June following the death of George Floyd, got together to pray for the nation and to help end racism in the community.
The group decided to hold a community prayer event after the events in the Nation's Capitol last week.
Jimmy Harrington was one of many who attended the drive-in community-wide prayer service held in Sumter on Sunday, "The nation needs prayer- we are going through a horrendous situation and God is the only king."
Pastors from around the community preached to a parking lot of cars full of people who 'beeped' to show their "Amens."
“Don’t pay attention to the sign a person holds -- pay attention to how they live their life," says Pastor Clay Smith of Alice Drive Baptist Church who assisted Pastor Marion Newton of Jehovah Missionary Baptist Church in bringing people together Sunday.
“If you really are a follower of Jesus, you are going to be doing what Jesus did," Pastor Smith told those gathered, "I cannot fathom Jesus going to the Capitol, breaking windows, showing disrespect -- I cannot imagine Jesus doing that. So we need to make clear that that’s not what it means to be a follower of Jesus at all.”
Pastor Newton said to the crowd, “I pray that our prayers will not be void, that our prayers will be answered and that our nation will have healing.”
The Sumter Leaders of Faith consist of 68 people from around the Sumter community working to end racism and make a change in the Sumter community.