Night of prayer held in Olney

The Olney Night of Prayer was held on Wednesday, July 27, at the Gazebo Square off of Main Street in Olney. The night of prayer was put together by the Ministerial Alliance and led by pastors and community members.

The night started with opening remarks and then Jesse Erhart from The Refuge led the group in saying the pledges to the U.S. flag, Christian Flag and Texas Flag. 

Olney Police Chief Barry Roberts delivered remarks after prayers were offered. 

“Black lives matter, I’m not talking about any organization. Black lives matter,” he said. “Yes. Black lives do matter because God created us all.”

Roberts also added, “The unborn lives matter...They matter to God.”

Roberts also talked about the recent attacks on the police and how “It’s painful.” The Chief ended with a prayer. 

“Pray for peace. Pray for revival. Pray for healing across this land,”he said. 

Several songs were sung during the event. Chad Edgington sang Lean on Me with a couple of others, as well. Numerous other songs were performed and led by Alyssa Betts.

David Carpenter of Cumberland broke the crowd into groups of four for prayer. The groups prayed for local, state and federal officials, as well as other public servants. 

The night concluded with a candle lighting. The night of prayer comes at a difficult moment in the nation. The nation is mourning the loss of Dallas and Baton Rouge police officers, while also mourning the loss of other public servants and citizens that have also passed under difficult circumstances. One of the goals of the event is to gather the community together to pray for solutions and to seek after God in all places.