City-Wide Prayer Brings Tulsans Of All Faiths Together

A city-wide call to prayer drew many Tulsans together Wednesday night.

Ministers and law enforcement officials held a special service at First Presbyterian Church in response to recent violent events.

Pastors explained the service was for people of all faiths, even people of no faith, to come together.

Dr. Jim Miller of First Presbyterian Church started the service with a question - How many churches are in Tulsa?

It was, of course, a trick question. His answer? "There's only one church in Tulsa. There's only one."

That was the theme of Wednesday evening's service – unity, even in grief.

Megan Brown is a member of First Presbyterian, she said seeing new faces encourages her.

"I think the church is not just one church, it's the entire church. And we all want to come together and remember He's who unifies us," she said.

When the nation is grieving, said Pastor Anthony Scott, why focus on differences when we can pray together?

"It's simply a matter of coming together and praying, and showing a sense of solidarity by clasping hands and singing together," he said.

When so much violence shakes the country, it's easy for people's faiths to be shaken, too. Scott hopes Wednesday’s service restored them.

"It caused many of us to doubt our future and our existence. So it's a time for us to come together and express hope and try to give people a sense that the future is much brighter than what we see taking place," Scott said.

Sheriff Vic Regalado and Tulsa Police Sergeant Ron Kawano also spoke during the service.