In recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Longview Area Interfaith Ministerial Alliance will hold a virtual church service on Monday.
The service will be broadcast live at noon from Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church in Longview and will be streamed on the ministry alliance Facebook page.
“We originally planned to have an in-person service, but due to this recent omicron variant which is spreading like wildfire, I have deemed it unsafe,” said the President of the Interfaith Ministerial Alliance. of the Longview area, LaDarian Brown. “So it will be virtual again this year.”
The keynote speaker for the event will be Reverend DJ Nelson, pastor of Friendship Baptist Church in Longview.
“The Longview Clergy Coalition, in years past, had the ecumenical service this Sunday afternoon, but recently members of the Clergy Coalition decided to merge with the Ministerial Alliance,” Brown said. “So we only have one organization left. We are all under one umbrella, trying to work collectively for our community.
Brown, senior pastor of Parkview Baptist Church, said the MLK Day service has been held at Mount Olive Baptist Church for many years.
“Tour. JD Palmer is the pastor and he’s agreed to host him back, as is their custom,” Brown said. “MLK service has been there since I was a teenager.”
MLK Day, Brown said, is about remembering and celebrating what King stood for.
“The whole point of why Coretta Scott King fought to make his birthday a holiday was for people to remember what he stood for, which was equality, the fight for peace but in the middle of this struggle, do it peacefully,” he said. “Not to mention that he was a preacher, a Christian; and what better way to celebrate someone’s life, what better way to remember and speak of unity than to do so in a worship setting.
Other area events in recognition of MLK Day include:
not Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Mondays, Texan Theatre, 204 S. Kilgore St., Kilgore. Hosted by the Kilgore Men and Women of Alliance, the event will feature food vendors and entertainment. In addition to honoring King’s life and legacy, the event also bestows special honors on community members who promote unity, success and brotherhood in Kilgore and who embody the mission of equality and King’s pity. No cost. Information: Kilgore Men and Women of Alliance Facebook page.
not Third Annual East Texas MLK Spoken Word and Open Mic Contest, in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., 5-7 p.m. Saturday, The Foundry Coffee House, 202 S. Broadway Ave., Tyler. Registration fee for poets: $10. $150 cash for top poets. General admission: $5. Information: (972) 704-5001.
not “The Music of Sam Cooke: A Change Will Happen”, 7 p.m. Saturday, Belcher Center at LeTourneau University, Longview. With singer Bradd Marquis. The concert will include a post-show lecture on Martin Luther King Jr. and civil rights. Tickets: $20 to $38. Information: https://www.belchercenter.com/index.html.
not “Unity in Community” a virtual prayer service celebrating the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., Saturday at 10 a.m. Hosted by Jarvis Christian College, the free event will feature guest speakers and performances. Registration: (430) 247-1479 or https://forms.office.com/r/QwBDTmNV9Z.