They came together with one purpose – to pray for peace in Ukraine.
Leaders from various denominations and different faiths put any doctrinal differences aside at First Baptist Church of Augusta Sunday to petition God for peace.
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The Rev. Will Dyer, pastor of First Baptist Church of Augusta, was the first to take the podium after a short video from Joshua Searle, the founder of Dnipro Hope Mission, a nonprofit committed to “the compassionate care of people in Ukraine, such as the sick, disabled, refugees and orphans,” according to the program for the service.
Searle, who lives in the United Kingdom, said in the video that he recently welcomed his father and mother-in-law into his home after they fled the eastern part of Ukraine where they’d lived. His mother-in-law could be seen holding Searle’s young son.
Dnipro Hope Mission is one of the groups that First Baptist supports.
“We are not simply praying for the absence of conflict,” said Dyer. “We are praying for the shalom that is mentioned in Isaiah, Jeremiah and by Jesus.”
Each of the leaders took a turn at the podium. The service was augmented with songs by Lee Menefee and Ryan Heritage, First Baptist’s minister of music as well as Antioch Missionary Baptist Church.
U.S. Rep. Rick Allen (R-Ga.), who is the chairman of the Congressional Prayer Caucus, prayed specifically for governmental leaders including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
He also prayed for President Joe Biden, saying that it didn’t matter what differences anyone held on policy, it was important to pray for the United States president.
“May our president look to you for guidance,” Allen said.
Others taking a few moments to utter words of prayer included Rabbi David Sirull of Adas Yeshurun Synagogue, the Rev. Mark Ross from St. Mary on the Hill Catholic Church, Imam Jawad Rasul of the Islamic Society of Augusta, Kenneth Martin of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church and the Rev. Sonia Sullivan-Clifton, chaplain at Episcopal Day School. Dawson Booth, an Augusta University student prayed for students.
And Col. Jeff Voyles, senior chaplain at Fort Gordon, prayed for the military.
Soldiers, he said, pray for peace the most because they are the ones who see the horrors of war first-hand and must deal with what it leaves in its wake.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the managing editor of The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com
