Community in prayer
By Joey Pitchford
Published in News on May 6, 2016 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Lt. Col. Pam Townsend-Atkins, representing the military, worships on stage with a group of other community members who prayed for one of the eight areas during the 65th annual National Day of Prayer service held Thursday at the Goldsboro Family Y. The areas of prayer were government, military, media, business, education, church, family and youth.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Stephanie Digeno worships to "The Creed" by Hillsong that is being performed by Julius Witherspoon Thursday night during the annual National Day of Prayer at the Goldsboro Family Y.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Speaker Jim Steele addresses the 200 attendees of the 65th National Day of Prayer held Thursday at the Goldsboro Family Y. Steele is the area chair for East Carolina C12, a group that supports Christian businesses.
Community leaders and representatives from around Goldsboro came together with residents to speak about peace, hope and faith during the annual National Day of Prayer at the Family Y on Thursday.
After Messianic Rabbi Albert Madison opened the proceedings, Jim Steele, chairman of the Christian group C-12, gave the main address.
Steele talked about the concept of "going all in" for your faith and said that Americans' failure to do so is the cause of the country's problems. As a local businessman, Steele said that his faith and his work go hand in hand.
"It's a 24/7 commitment, there isn't any separation." he said. "You have to be 100 percent, all the time."
Eight other speakers joined Steele to pray for various groups.
Sheriff Larry Pierce prayed for government, Lt. Col. Pam Townsend-Atkins prayed for the military, radio host Wes Johnson prayed for media, and local businessman Mac Sullivan prayed for businesses.
In addition, teacher Wendy Hicks prayed for education, Lynn Epps prayed for the church, Bill de Araujo prayed for families, and Eastern Wayne High freshman Kaela Coles prayed for young people.
Some members of the audience seemed deeply moved by the testimonies given. Stephanie Digeno said she was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer about a year ago. She couldn't walk and was confined to a wheelchair, but said that she denied chemotherapy in favor of letting God heal her. She said she can now run, bike and jump on a trampoline, even as the cancer has metastasized throughout her body.
Thompson-Atkins led a passionate prayer calling for the safety of military members and the shielding of their minds from traumatic sights. She said that her faith had been crucial to her continued success in the military.
"It brings me sustainment," she said. "Without it I would not have been sustained. I would have lost my mind a long time ago."