Religious community planning prayer events heading into Memorial Day weekend

Religious leaders plan to hold events for and, they hope, with attendees of the Atlantic Beach Bikefest to pray for the safety of the motorcycles, festival goers and the Grand Strand at large.

A group of pastors are planning 60 hours of prayer on Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach beginning May 21, with volunteers from local churches working in four-hour shifts to welcome and pray with people in town for the Atlantic Beach Bikefest on Memorial Day weekend.

The Rev. Joe Washington – who recently started HOPE Church, which worships out of Carolina Forest Elementary School – also is working to have a prayer service leading into Memorial Day weekend.

“There can’t be too much prayer,” he said of the different events planned leading up to Memorial Day weekend.

Jack Narvel, who is helping organize the prayer tents on Ocean Boulevard with Youth With a Mission Myrtle Beach, said volunteers will man two tents set up on the former Myrtle Beach Pavilion property beginning at 8 a.m. May 21.

“We are working to promote peace, camaraderie and friendship,” Narvel said. “We’re going to pray for God’s peace and blessings on the Grand Strand.”

Narvel said he is trying to line up about 150 volunteers – 10 people for each of the 15 four-hour shifts – to be in the tents, praying with those interested from 8 a.m. May 21 through 8 p.m. May 23.

“Three churches have already signed up for specific shifts,” Narvel said. “And we’ll be holding a meeting May 9 where we’ll assign the remaining shifts.”

Volunteers at the event will hand out bottles of water and offer to pray with the people who pass by.

“This is not about proselytizing,” Narvel said.

The Rev. Carlton Davidson of Grand Strand Community Church said members from his church will be the first group to kick off the 60 hours of prayer.

“We recognize, being people of faith, the importance and power of prayer,” Davidson said. “We’re going to lift up the city and pray for safety – that everyone is safe that weekend.”

Washington said he’s invited members of the Christian, Jewish and Muslim communities to take part in the prayer.

“It’s going to be an ecumenical setting to read scripture and to pray,” he said. “And I’m inviting elected officials to welcome the bikers.”

Washington said he’s also invited Harley Davidson motorcycle clubs as well as clubs who come to town for Bikefest.

“I pray that this will be a good weekend of safety for everyone,” he said. “What we’re sitting on right now is a powder keg and it seems to be escalating.”

Washington said he’s concerned that the recent protests in Baltimore, where a black man died while in police custody, and North Charleston, where a police officer is charged with the murder of an unarmed black man, have heightened racial tensions.

Bikefest was founded in the 1980s as a rally for black motorcyclists. Over the years the event has grown and festival attendees spend time in other parts of the Grand Strand.

“There ought to be a strong presence of clergy both black and white throughout this weekend because of what is happening throughout the country,” he said. “You can’t do enough to mitigate the possibility of something bad happening.”

Washington said he also plans to have a “blessing of the bikes” and a motorcycle ride up to a location to be determined in North Myrtle Beach.

“This is still in the early planning stages,” he said.

Those interested in attending the prayer service at HOPE Church can contact Washington at 446-5879. HOPE Church meets at Carolina Forest Elementary School at 285 Carolina Forest Blvd.

Those interested in volunteering for the 60 hours of prayer can attend a planning meeting at 9 a.m. Saturday at Fresh Brewed Coffee House, 933 Broadway St. in Myrtle Beach.

This story was originally published May 3, 2015 at 3:43 PM with the headline "Religious community planning prayer events heading into Memorial Day weekend."