A Call for Unified Prayer in Anderson - An Open Letter

Below is the contents of an open letter I have sent to the churches in Anderson, SC. Please consider the role you play in this matter. Please consider joining us for prayer.

To Our Sister Churches in the Rocky River and Saluda Baptist Associations:

May the grace of our God and Savior abound to you in these days as we await His glorious appearing. There is no doubt in my mind that your heart and mind have been ransacked by the wave of emotion and thought surrounding the events of evil in Charleston last Wednesday night. I want to be clear in my appeal to you that what happened at Emanuel AME was not just an attack on a historically black church, it was an attack on my church. It was not violence against only “black people”, it was an attack on my people, the people of the redeemed in Christ Jesus. My heart hurts at the thought of everything that transpired that night, but has been filled with joy in watching the unity, forgiveness, and ability to rise above evil that Emanuel and Charleston has exhibited. No doubt, this is the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the redeemed.

However, there is work to be done in Anderson. Anderson needs to see a similar display of love and unity in the body of Christ regardless of ethnic background, skin shading, church governance, or worship styles, We believe that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the true peace for which we are all seeking and we know that it is the only hope and redemption to which we can cling. With that said, we still live in division. Many points of division are senseless and do not assist us in presenting our community with the Gospel. I believe that in 2015 we have allowed race to be one of those divisions and I believe that many of our white churches have done little or nothing to erase the divide. Do not forget that Paul asserts to the Ephesians in chapter 2 that in breaking down the Spiritual barrier, Christ Jesus has also broken down the racial barrier.

Now is the time that we bind together to this end: to present to Anderson and to our Lord Jesus His bride in unified perfection. I believe this starts with a call to prayer and for that purpose I am writing you. The sanctuary of Hopewell Baptist Church in Anderson will be open this Thursday, June 25 at 12 noon for a unified time of prayer for peace and to open the door of dialogue so that we can function better together in Anderson. It is a time to pray for Charleston. It is also a time to pray for Anderson. It is a time to pray over our Rocky River Association churches and it is a time to pray over our Saluda Baptist Association churches. I have had conversations with Odell Burns of Evergreen Baptist, Donald Owens of New Hopewell Baptist, Grady Butler of Salem Missionary Baptist, and Paul Garrett of Pleasant Hill Baptist and we all stand united in this effort to bring our churches together.

Please make plans to join us. The path to unity and reconciliation, especially at times of unrest in our state and nation, begins when God’s people join together to seek His face. Our church is located at 3530 Hopewell Rd Anderson, SC 29621. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly at 864.556.2557. May the peace of Christ carries as we gather together to shoulder this glorious burden of ministering to a broken community.
In Christ Alone





Rev. Evan M. Hill, Senior Pastor
Hopewell Baptist Church

evan@hbcanderson.com

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