Despite weather, crowd gathers to march with cross through Seaford

By Glenn Rolfe
Posted 4/2/21

SEAFORD — Cold, windy weather punctuated by snow flurries did not chill the Good Friday spirit in Seaford, as clergy and community members gathered for a cross-bearing crusade.

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Despite weather, crowd gathers to march with cross through Seaford

Posted

SEAFORD — Cold, windy weather punctuated by snow flurries did not chill the Good Friday spirit in Seaford, as clergy and community members gathered for a cross-bearing crusade.

The March for Jesus event, facilitated through Unified Seaford, featured local clergy, a march with a large cross, prayer, music and song.

“Considering it was cold and snowing, it was a really large gathering. I’d estimate 150 people were here,” said Apostle Isaac Ross, who pastors at Miracle Revival Center. “Had it been warmer, we probably would have had more.”

Seven local preachers spoke during the event, which included a gathering outside Seaford City Hall, an orderly procession through the Seaford High School campus and a closing observance and prayer at Gateway Park.

Seaford Mayor David Genshaw was among the participants. He carried the wooden cross several blocks until work duties called.

“This was a Unified Seaford effort by Pastor Isaac Ross to gather for a Good Friday celebration. It had been in the works for a month or two,” said the mayor, who gauged the turnout as “relatively large (and) much bigger than I thought for a beautiful April day — at 40 degrees!”

Participating clergy included Weldon Lemke (Atlanta Road Alliance Church); Carlton Cannon Jr. (Clarence Street Church of God); Wayne Lewin (a new pastor in the area); Tom Birowski (Harvest Christian Church); Lawrence Purnell (John Wesley United Methodist Church); Christine Bowden (Mount Olivet United Methodist Church); and Beth Elzey (Wesley United Methodist Church).

“We utilized the seven last words of Jesus. Each pastor spoke on that,” said Apostle Ross. “Seven people carried the cross.”

Plans are to make the Good Friday prayer march an annual event, joining other Unified Seaford activities, like prayer breakfasts. There also is hope for a huge Unified Seaford event in September.

“We had a very diverse crowd — what Seaford is made up of. A lot of good, Christian people came out today and braved the snow and the cold,” said Apostle Ross. “We pray for this city. We pray that God will break the poverty in the city. We’re seeing a lot of progress.”

Mayor Genshaw said Unified Seaford includes numerous clergy members from the area, who have been getting “together for three or four years now to help support Seaford, pray for Seaford. Not only the city, but they also pray for the police department on a monthly basis, and they also do the school district.”

It’s a proactive initiative, the mayor said.

“They do come up to City Hall after the first meeting of the month, every month, at 7:30 in the morning, to talk about what we just went over (in) the previous night’s council meeting,” he said. “They really are a good bunch.”

Apostle Ross said the camaraderie can improve the city.

“When we join hands together and work together, we become a better place to live,” he said. “One of the things about unity is it dispels the hatred and the division. It brings us together to make us one. I believe, together we stand, divided we fall. We’re different, but we are one.

“And this is what Good Friday is all about, showing us our way back to the cross, to who we really are, shining light in the darkness.”

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