c. 1996 Religion News Service
WASHINGTON (RNS)-Armed with picnic coolers, Bibles and”Jesus”pennants, thousands of Christian youth gathered for a”Washington for Jesus”rally at the U.S. Capitol Monday, rejoicing that they were not alone in their faith.”Sometimes I get discouraged, thinking there are not other Christians,”said Ben Blemahdoo, 16, of Calvary Gospel Church Conqueror’s Club Gospel Team, an evangelistic teen outreach in Newark, N.J. Looking around at the crowd, Blemahdoo added,”You can see that you are not alone and that there are other people who have struggles like you.” Candace Spinazzola, 14, who attended with 33 others from Rhema Bible Church in Broken Arrow, Okla., said she was glad to be part of a gathering of”teens coming from all over America to stand for God.””We know we’re not the only ones,”she said.”We’re just encouraged.” The two-day rally concludes Tuesday (April 30) with prayers and speeches on such issues as AIDS, abortion and homosexuality and appearances by such figures as the Rev. Jerry Falwell and evangelist Benny Hinn.
The event follows two similar ones, in 1980 and 1988. Organizers claimed the 1988 event drew 1 million people, though U.S. Park Police estimated the turnout at 150,000.
Authorities had not released a crowd estimate by mid-afternoon Monday (April 29).
Most of those attending the youth rally packed the lawn closest to the Capitol, but smaller groups camped in tents and sleeping bags along the Mall, the grassy area from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial.
Touting the audience as a”Generation for Christ,”rather than Generation X, speakers addressed such topics as broken families, suicide and other challenges to youth. They blamed many of society’s problems on the lack of officially sanctioned prayer in public schools.
Blaine Bartel, a Colorado pastor, referred to the 1963 U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down state-sponsored Bible reading and recitation of the Lord’s Prayer in public schools.”We’ve got a prophetic decree to issue today to America,”said Bartel, president of Fire by Nite Ministries, a charismatic youth ministry based in Colorado Springs.”June 17, 1963, they threw him (Jesus) out but brace yourself America, he’s coming back!” The crowd roared.
(BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM)
Some students said they felt arranging to be away from public school classes Monday had given them a chance to evangelize to their teachers as they explained their pending absence.”It’s just a way to witness to them,”said Becky Farrell, 16, from Smithtown Gospel Tabernacle, a nondenominational charismatic church on Long Island, N.Y. She sat in a circle of six young women, munching on Doritos and sipping apple juice.
Others seemed happy to have a break from a typical school day.”Right now I’d probably be doing math,”said Sherianne Price, 14, of Windsor, Ontario, in Canada.
Joy Jones, 14, attends the 5,000-member Rock Church in Virginia Beach, Va., and its Rock Church Academy, a private Christian school that closed for three days to enable its 350 students to travel to Washington. Because of the rally, she predicted,”We’ll be acting more Christlike than worldly like.” The Rev. John Gimenez, pastor of Jones’ church, is founder and national chairman of”Washington for Jesus.”(END OPTIONAL TRIM)
As people made their way around the Capitol-wearing T-shirts that declared”Life is Short: Pray Hard”and”Beware of God”-they prayed along with the speakers, sometimes stretching their hands outward as they walked.
Michael Morgan of Richmond, Va., decided to bring his three teenagers to the event.”I feel like young people have so much that they have to overcome now with societal pressures,”he said, citing drugs, alcohol and promiscuity.”This event has a positive message and I wanted them to be here.” JC END
