Local ‘March of Prayer’ initiative comes into churches like a lion (VIDEO)

MANSFIELD — Reverend Paul Lintern and Jordan Baker, Coordinator of the Point of Grace House of Prayer are encouraging local congregations for the month of March to host two-hour corporate prayer meetings open to the public.

Their efforts were jump started a day prior to the initiative when local law enforcement raids dismantled a massive illicit drug network between Detroit and Mansfield arresting forty-three.

“We are praying that the Mansfield area would become Godsfield,” says Baker. “We are going to cry out to GOD for our leaders, the schools, our workplaces, and for victory over addiction. Our hope is that each church gathering reflects the Spirit of God and the personality and tradition of the hosting church,” says Baker.

According to Lintern, the “March of Prayer” originated during the Opioid Drug Crisis when the faith community was trying to determine a proper response.

“Discussions about a corporate community prayer initiative began two years ago with several clergy and drug counselors. In the past, we had several prayer initiatives involving small groups praying over the seven gates of our city, but we wanted something bigger. Presently we have forty congregations participating and our meetings are now going into April.”

This past Wednesday night, Reverend Denny Finnegan of the Mansfield First Evangelical Presbyterian Church was eager to host the event.

“I first heard about the “March of Prayer” at the Brown Bag Clergy group. As a full-time pastor for 36 years, my last two in Mansfield have been unique. To have a mayor welcome open prayer for city government and his administration is unusual; and the “March of Prayer” is strategic.”

On this night citizens representing fourteen local congregations participated at Finnegan’s church, located at 399 South Trimble Road.

Lintern recently wrote a song entitled “Mansfield into Godsfield” that has served as an anthem at each of the gatherings. Sung to the tune of “Stand up Stand up for Jesus,” one of the stanza includes the words: “Let Mansfield now be Godsfield, anoint us with your hand. Let Godsfield transform Mansfield, into Your Holy Land.”

In recognition of the efforts of the faith community in combating the opioid drug epidemic, the Ohio House passed a resolution the Spring of 2018,

For more information about which church the next “March of Prayer,” meeting will be at, you can go to Facebook at #MarchOfPrayer or at Godsfield. Reverend Lintern can also be reached at 419.571.9920.

View March of Prayer video entitled “We Are the Church” below produced by Reverend Mark Pierce.