Groups to host MLK holiday faith events
State senator will speak at service celebrating King
St. John Missionary Baptist Church typically hosts a Concerned Clergy for Spiritual Renewal city-wide church service honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. at 3 p.m. on the third Sunday in January. That annual service will not be held this year due to concerns about COVID-19.
However, the church, 5700 N Kelley, will focus its attention on King during its virtual morning worship set for 10:45 a.m. Sunday. Sen. George Young, a retired Baptist preacher, will be special guest. Young, a native of Memphis, Tennessee, retired in 2013 after 30 years of pastoral service.
The public is invited to view the virtual service via St. John's Facebook page, YouTube and website at stjohnokc.org.
For more information, please contact the church office at 405-478-3344.
Norman plans breakfast, activities
The annual Mayor's Interfaith Breakfast will be held virtually on Monday, followed by a citywide day of service in honor of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy.
Norman Mayor Breea Clark and the Norman Human Rights Commission are inviting the Norman community to participate in the interfaith breakfast honoring King's legacy at 9 a.m. Monday. The Norman Parks and Recreation
Department also is inviting residents to participate in a cleanup event at 2 p.m. on Monday at one of Norman's more than 60 parks.
The breakfast will take place virtually and will be broadcast on the city's YouTube page. Theme for this year's presentation is “Reconciliation: Moving Beyond the Past to Create a Better Future ... Together.”
“While this treasured event will look different this year, we will continue to honor and celebrate Dr. King's legacy of community, hope, and reconciliation that is needed now more than ever in our city, state, and nation,” Clark said in a news release. “As always, I am looking forward to hearing from our diverse faith communities, and given that 2021 is the year of the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre, I am also excited for our keynote speaker, Phil Armstrong, project director of the Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission. I invite all residents to join us virtually to hear these messages as we all look forward to a brighter and stronger 2021.”
In addition to the keynote speech by Phil Armstrong, leaders of a variety of faiths will also offer inspirational commentary and prayers.
Dan Dukes, chairman of the Norman Human Rights Commission, said he is proud that the breakfast is being continued “during these turbulent times. ... It is now, more than ever, that we tune in to reconciliation and togetherness and tune out division and ignorance.”
After the virtual breakfast, residents are encouraged to join the citywide day of service by signing up to clean a park. Residents that would like to lead cleanup efforts at their favorite park can do so by volunteering to serve as a park leader by emailing parks. rec@normanok.gov. The Norman Parks and Recreation Department will provide supplies.