Faith community prays for teachers during vigil
As state lawmakers met inside the State Capitol on Thursday in the hopes of staving off a teacher walkout, members of the Oklahoma City metro faith community held a prayer vigil outside the building in a faith-full show of solidarity with teachers.
A crowd of about 300 people gathered on the Capitol’s south plaza for the Churches For Teachers Prayer Vigil, which included remarks from several local preachers and Oklahoma City School Board member Jace Kirk. The event was hosted by a group of Oklahoma City churches as a possible statewide teacher walkout loomed on the horizon.
The Rev. John-Mark Hart, senior pastor of Christ Community Church, said the vigil was organized because the well-being of children and the teachers who serve them, plus the current impasse regarding teacher pay, are moral issues that the Church should be addressing.
“Jesus was not afraid to step into messy situations ,” Hart told the crowd. “Jesus was less concerned with offending the pious than He was about stepping up to defend the rights of the vulnerable.”
Another preacher, the Rev. Kenny Deason with The Parish, urged state legislators to come up with a way to offer educators the pay raises they deserve.
“In the name of God, listen to the cries of our teachers and act. Give them what they are rightfully demanding. Raise their wages now,” Deason said.
At one point during the 70-minute vigil, people held their hands out towards the Capitol building as the Rev. Cuco Escalera, a priest at St. James Episcopal Church, asked them to do so as he said a prayer for lawmakers gathered in the nearby building.
Kirk, who represents Oklahoma City School Board District 7 and serves as assistant director at FaithWorks of the Inner City, said he was attending the prayer vigil to personally show support for teachers throughout his district and the state.
“I want my students and teachers to know that I, like the rest of the board, am behind them,” he said. “I’m here to ask the Church to be advocating for our children and our teachers so they don’t have to take these drastic steps.”
Kirk told those gathered that there were ways for them to help youths and families if a walkout occurred. He said there was a need for organizations to provide childcare for families during the walkout. He said some agencies have stepped up to provide food for students in the event of a walkout, but there might be a need for more food if a walkout goes beyond five days.