William T. Cox Sr., President of the Allegheny West Conference; William Miller, President of the Potomac Conference; and Dave Weigley, President of the Columbia Union Conference, release the following joint statement regarding the unrest in Charlottesville, Va.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of Heather Heyer and Lieutenant H. Jay Cullen and Trooper-Pilot Berke M. M. Bates of the Virginia State Police, who lost their lives on Saturday, August 12, during the violent uprising in Charlottesville, Va. We’re also praying for healing for all who were injured and impacted.
“As a church, we abhor evil and stand against individuals and organizations who perpetuate hatred, violence and discrimination. God calls each of us to love, to be compassionate and to show mercy to all people no matter their race or gender. We honor that call and stand in solidarity with those who seek peace and justice. We pledge to do everything in our power to end the scourge of racism, sexism and discrimination whenever and wherever we see it.
“In the spirit of unity and solidarity, we will join with our four area Seventh-day Adventist churches—Bethany, Central Hispanic, Charlottesville and Charlottesville Spanish—to pray for the victims, their families and the community. This rally will be held at the Freedom of Speech Wall, 605 East Main Street, in downtown Charlottesville on Sabbath afternoon, August 19, at 1:15 p.m.
“The purpose of the rally is to demonstrate Christ’s love and bring healing to this hurting community. We invite you to join us in a season of prayer for peace at the time of the incident—in Charlottesville or wherever you may be.”
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Here is an idea of what will be taking place on Saturday:
10:30am -1:00pm: Community Event
This community event, called “Back to School Bash,” will take place at 700 E. Main St, Charlottesville, VA 22902. This is a time to hand out bottles of water, literature and offer smiles and prayers to those who will be walking past.
1:15pm -2pm: Prayer Rally
We will be meeting at the Freedom of Speech Wall (which is within walking distance of the community event).
PARKING: There are two big parking garages (listed below) in addition to smaller parking lots. If you park there, remember to keep your parking pass to have it validated at the Welcome Center, which is near the event.
Water Street Parking Garage
248 Water St E, Charlottesville, VA 22902
Market Street Parking Garage
400 E Market St, Charlottesville, VA 22902
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DRESS IN RED: If you are planning on attending, please dress comfortably and wear a RED shirt if you have it!
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In addition to the community service event taking place in the morning, there are church services still happening as well.
English Service:
11am-12pm: Charlottesville Seventh-day Adventist Church 2437 Jefferson Park Avenue, Charlottesville, VA 22903
Attendees are encouraged to bring a sack lunch to eat after church and then the group will be heading over to the mall afterwards.
Spanish Service:
1510 Broad Crossing Rd, Charlottesville
(Peace Lutheran Church)
9:30 -10:30am- Sabbath School
10:45-12pm – Worship Service
