Faithful gather in worship
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HOLLIDAYSBURG -- Second amendment rights, the media, elected officials, Israel and the armed forces were among the focus of prayers during Thursday's 73rd annual National Day of Prayer.
Dozens of worshippers gathered in Legion Park for the event, which was sponsored by The Way of Truth Ministries. Some attendees stayed in their cars to escape the heat, opting to listen to the speakers on the radio, while others sat beneath a pavilion or placed lawn chairs in the shade of trees.
Pastor Gary Dull of Faith Baptist Church of Altoona, who is the president of The Way of Truth Ministries, commented on the weather, saying they had prayed for God to send them a nice day.
"It certainly looks like he sent one," Dull said.
Hollidaysburg resident Patsy Delozier said God answers her prayers every day and that her husband of 19 years, who has Alzheimer's, is "doing wonderfully."
What she is praying for currently is "America" and "all of the college kids."
"They're busting the windows and I feel they don't really know what they're protesting," Delozier said. "It's sad."
Pastor Dave Donnelly of Warriors Mark Bible Baptist Church touched on this topic during his prayer for Israel.
"We know, even from the news of today, there is still much hostility," Donnelly said. "There's too much opposition. The vitriol runs high on college campuses today."
Donnelly prayed for "the peace of Jerusalem" and quoted the Apostle Paul in Romans 10:1, saying "his heart's desire and prayer is that they might be saved."
Keynote speaker Pastor Denny Mallonee of Faith Baptist Church in Beaver Springs also quoted Scripture and began his sermon by talking about the biblical story of Exodus.
"Well, Joseph and his brothers, all that generation passes from the scene," Mallonee said. "Here comes a new king in Egypt that knew not Joseph. What's that mean? First of all, the thing came to my mind, he didn't know his history. He didn't know how God blessed Egypt because of Joseph and those folks."
Mallonee compared the new Egyptian king to the situation "we're here in America today," saying that "there are people who do not understand our history."
Mallonee said he was told the Bible shouldn't be read on the Capitol steps because of the separation of church and state while trying to participate in a Bible reading marathon.
His response was to tell the "critic" to "walk inside and start reading the Scripture" on various walls of government buildings in Washington, D.C.
"It's a reminder of our inheritance, it's a reminder of why and how our nation was founded," Mallonee said.
Altoona resident Dave Kolarczyk, who is a member of Faith Baptist Church, said he took off of work to attend the event. He said he usually helps set things up beforehand, but things had been pretty well taken care of by the time he arrived.
When asked if there was anything he was praying for that he was particularly worried about, Kolarczyk said "the kids" because they aren't "being taught the right things."
He expressed concern over children being taught that there are more than just "boy and girl" and that they should know "there is a God in heaven," hell and consequences for their actions.
Kolarczyk also said that he is grateful to God for his life and children and that "he's protected me all along, even when I was a heathen."
"I'm just thankful that God hasn't destroyed us yet," Kolarczyk said.
A number of other pastors from area churches participated in the event, including Pastor Jethniel Wyler of Puzzletown Road Bible Church, who prayed for America's families; Pastor Mark Mahan of Community Bible Church, who prayed for our schools and education; Pastor Erik Lingenfelter of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Claysburg, who prayed for the media; Pastor Ken Patterson of Bible Baptist Church of Tyrone, who prayed for second amendment rights; and Pastor Michael Stuart of Grace Bible Church, who prayed for revival in America. Other speakers included Altoona City Councilman Dave Butterbaugh, who prayed for government and elected officials; retired Air Force chaplain Klavens Noel, who prayed for the armed forces; and Faith Baptist Church of Altoona members Ayden Mulhollen, who read Scripture, Josiah Allen, who prayed for America's children, and Aiden Dull, who led the benediction.
Mirror Staff Writer Rachel Foor is at 814-946-7458.