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Churches come together for Proclamation

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Members of local churches – including (left to right) Sheila Jakus

People of all faiths will soon join together at St. John’s Presbyterian Church for a multi-denominational event called Proclamation.

The event, sponsored by the Canadian Bible Society, runs April 27 until May 7 and will see various community members read aloud passages from the Bible. The goal is to read it through completely – although not necessarily in order – over the 10-day span.

“What it’s all about is bringing people together. It’s a huge non-denominational event,” said Mereda Preece, a member of White Rock Fellowship Baptist Church, and one of the event’s many organizers.

“It doesn’t matter the religion, doesn’t matter if you’re Baptist and believe in baptism, or Presbyterian and believe in pre-destination. Every religion has their own little changes to the Bible, but this is about celebrating common ground.”

Those who sign up to read a passage – which are portioned out in five-minute increments – are also encouraged to bring their own Bibles, should they so choose, and can read aloud in any language they wish.

Already, members of Semiahmoo First Nation have agreed to attend and read a passage from theirs, Preece said.

The event has been staged in other cities since the mid-’90s, but never before on the Semiahmoo Peninsula. It is open to the public; reaching out to the public is, in fact, one of the main objections of Proclamation, Preece said.

“People come in off the street and are often very touched by God’s word,” she said.

Daily readings will go from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m., with plenty of breaks. The event will end May 7 with a Festival of Praise – a fun, wrap-up that will include snacks, refreshments and music.