Pembroke-The opportunity to share the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ often comes in very small ways maybe at the check-out counter at the local grocery store, maybe at a fast food drive thru or while on coffee break at work. But sometimes events around us provides the chance to reach out to the lost on a grand scale. Such was the case today at the Annual Lumbee Homecoming Parade. Members and friends of the Lumber River Conference of the Holiness Methodist Conference and Mt. Olive Pentecostal Holiness Church spent the morning evangelizing and taking advantage of the large crowd gathered along the parade route by passing out water labeled with the Gospel message, bible tracts, as well as, personal one-on-one encounters.
The days activities were a culmination and part of the Know, Grow and Go campaign initiated by Shoeheel Holiness Methodist church with assistance from, Macedonia, New Bethel, Union Chapel and Cherokee Chapel Holiness Methodist churches. The festivities were held at CYNA’s Diamonds and Jewelry, who graciously allowed the use of their parking lot for the day. This was necessary since the Town of Pembroke and the Lumbee Regional Development Association {LRDA} refused to allow the use of the animals in the parade itself. The day’s events included the use of Prince and Donke a camel and donkey respectively owned by Shoeheel church and managed by the Reverend Harold Dean Jacobs who serves as Music and Program Director at the church.
The presiding Bishop the Reverend Jimmy Locklear along with Conference Superintendent the Reverend Anthony Chavis were present to help those in attendance to get the “WORD†out by sharing 1000 free bottled waters. Sister Nicole Locklear and others were on the scene to provide JESUS cups to nearly 300 children. Brother Billy Oxendine and youth in attendance got the Word out by sharing Bible tracts to just over 500 individuals. The offering of water gave participants the opportunity to remind attendees that Jesus loves them. Those who declined the waters were also reminded of the great love that Jesus Christ has for them. Those who declared that they knew the Lord was encouraged to get up tomorrow morning and attend a church of their choosing.
