Marion County students in public and private schools joined millions around the world during the annual See You At the Pole event Wednesday.
At Columbia Academy, students gathered near the flag pole at 7:15 for singing by students Katelyn Morris, Gracie Jones and Abby Lott accompanied by Korinn Lowery.
Then Chris Willett, pastor of Columbia Presbyterian Church, read from Philippians 4:6-9, which reminds Christians not to worry but to pray and focus on virtuous things.
“We find that even though everything around us crumbles and falls apart, God is always in control. He’s on His throne,” Willett said.
Students then broke into small groups to pray before school began.
At West Marion High School, the Rev. Justin Cameron of Good Hope Baptist Church spoke to a group of students assembled outside the school. Members of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and First Priority joined in the ceremony and Holly Springs Baptist Church provided donuts, milk, and juice as students arrived before school to pray.
“Days like this instill a hope that is still here,” West Marion High School cheerleading advisor Rhonda Polk said. “The students present are a part of that hope.”
Cameron led prayers with the students as they stood in front of the school.
Similar events took place at Columbia High School and East Marion High School.
“When God’s people pray, he says he will change things,” he said. “We pray for healing in our land.
See You At The Pole began on Sept. 12, 1990, when more than 45,000 teenagers met at school flagpoles in four different states to pray before the start of school.
A few months later, a group of youth ministers from across the country gathered together for a national conference in Colorado. Many of them reported that their students had heard about the prayer movement.
At 7 a.m. on Sept. 11, 1991, an estimated one million students gathered at flagpoles across the country. According to the SYATP website, the event has grown since then to involve more than 3 million students in the United States and 20 other countries.
Pictured Above: Columbia Academy students gather in small groups to pray Wednesday morning during “See You at the Pole.” | Photo by Charlie Smith
