Noise pollution often proves to be a contributing factor of displeasure
for many New Yorkers, and for others, car horns, sirens, tires screeching, people,
buses, and trains are familiar sounds that go unnoticed. However, on Saturday,
October 26, a different sound resonated in the atmosphere. The sounds came from
different locations in New York, but ultimately settled in Times Square. Thanks
to the God Belongs in My City (GBIMC) Walk, New Yorkers were able to embrace a
new sound—the sound of a united people walking for Christ.
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| The group at Point B: Duke Ellington Circle |
This was the 5th annual GBIMC walk and youth ministries from all five boroughs and even outside the state, gathered for an event like no other. There were three starting points to begin the walk, depending on where one is located. The starting point for Brooklyn, Staten Island, and Lower Manhattan was Battery Park (Point A), for Queens and Upper Manhattan was E. 110th Street and 5th Avenue (Point B), and the starting point for Westchester, the Bronx and Washington Heights was W. 168th Street and Amsterdam Ave (Point C). All groups were expected to meet at their specified locations at 9:00 a.m. From there, the groups made their way towards W. 42nd Street—Times Square.
A majority of the walkers wore hoodies and/or shirts that
had “God Belongs In My City” imprinted on the front. Although this attire was not required, it was a clear
indication of participation in the prayer walk.
Stops were made in between for the opportunity to pray as a
group, for the people of New York City, its leaders, the education system, the
media, government leaders, and unity within the church. During the walk, some walkers
led songs of praise and worship, others started energetic chants for the rest
of the group to follow along, and some focused on using the chalk (that was given
out at the meeting point) to pause and write a scripture or quick encouraging
phrase on the sidewalk. The GBIMC walk brought various age groups, nationalities,
denominations and socioeconomic backgrounds together on Saturday, and it should
have been very clear to any bystander that this walk was one that stressed the
importance of unity.
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| Times Square |
Once all three groups merged at Times Square, by the
infamous red bleacher seats, they were led in prayer by the group leaders with
megaphones. Prayers for the city was lifted up to God and the group stood in
agreement for God’s protection over Avonte Oquendo, the 14-year-old boy with
autism who went missing on October 4. NYPD officers stood nearby, making sure
part of the sidewalk was kept clear and tourists and spectators looked on in astonishment
at the large crowd. At exactly 1:20 p.m. every GBIMC attendee standing on the
sidewalk or bleachers, got on their knees in prayer, making it clear to all
those who watched, that this movement was in fact a very prayerful one.
Leon Stewart, Minister and Youth Director at Strait
Gate the Church at Westchester and Co-founder of the Kingdom Xpressions Youth
Ministry, thought that the walk was great this year.
“I thought we had a good group coming from 110th and 5th and
that our prayer points were spot on,” Stewart said. “I thought that the
small worship session we had 85th was good and that Jovan Ramos did a good job
leading that.”
The God Belongs in My City movement started in 2009, for
youth ministries from all over to come together in unity and prayer and take a
stand for Christ. It has spread to locations all over the United States and internationally
and has attracted a lot of attention. According to Stewart, this was the
largest walk, by far, with numbers estimated to over 4,000.
“I thought the walk was amazing,” Xenia Hernandez from 2nda
Mision Christiana Rehoboth said. “I realized how powerful God is and how great
the body of believers are. The best part of it was when we united as one to
worship and bow down to our king.”
Marcia Amponsah who is a member of High Impact Youth
Ministry at Living Faith Int’l Church said it was cold but the walk was good.
“It was powerful and different,” she stated. “You could
really see that young people are
enthusiastic about God and are truly taking a stand in New York City.”
Stewart said that he loved seeing the excitement of the
young people as they proclaimed that “God Belongs in My City” and that there
was an emphasis on ministering [to] people along way that he thought was
stronger this year.
“I have to continue to give praise to the great work that
Pastor Danny Sanabria and his team are doing with these walks all over the
world. Also, with the work they are doing with Urban Kingdom Youth
Ministries, in bringing ministries together from all over the city, New Jersey
and Westchester, regardless of denomination.,” Stewart said. “They have a
Kingdom mentality and these walks are the direct evidence of that.”
For more information on the God Belongs in My City movement, visit: http://www.godbelongsinmycity.com/
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