Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast brings unity in Jackson

JACKSON, Tenn. — Hundreds gathered in downtown Jackson early Thursday morning, despite the rain, to come together as one in prayer.

People from all walks of life came together sharing a meal and uniting in prayer.

“In hopes that we can bring our community together and pray for our community, because that’s what we need right now. We need a lot of prayers,” Sharon Smith, chair of the Mayor’s Community Action Council, said.

This is the 10th year Mayor Jerry Gist has hosted the prayer breakfast, and it coincides with the National Day of Prayer.

“It always seems like we go to prayer when we want something,” Mayor Jerry Gist said. “We need to change that and pray each day. But it is a special event in our city.”

People were able to worship and pray together for community leaders, law enforcement, educators and businesses.

“In this diversity that we have in Jackson, with everything that is going on in the world,we need this, and it brings us all together,” Smith said.

People attending the breakfast say this event allows them to come together as one, with a purpose.

“Because we can always get together for something, but if there is no benefit to it, if there is no special purpose for it, then it’s just another meeting.

The city will also hold a community-wide prayer time at the courthouse later Thursday afternoon as part of the National Day of Prayer.