By ALESHA CADET

Tribune Features Reporter

acadet@tribunemedia.net

THE NATIONAL Student Christian Movement (SCM) will officially launch operation Cover Our Schools In Prayer with a “No Weapons Prayer Rally” at Rawson Square today from 6.30pm to 8.30pm.

The aim of the initiative is to have a continuous prayer covering and on-going intercession for school-aged children, parents, teachers, support staff, youth workers, as well as the shapers and decision-makers of educational policy in the country.

The SCM is an inter-denominational fellowship of Christian students present in 21 clubs in New Providence, Grand Bahama, Cat Island, Andros, Eleuthera, Berry Islands and has existed in the country for over 50 years. The faith-based Christian club seeks to assist students with the proper skills to be better citizens of the country, encouraging them to cultivate godly values and standards.

Operation “Cover Our Schools In Prayer” is calling for pastors, churches, prayer warriors and intecessors in the community to attend the rally this evening to pray against the vices of violence, drugs, sex, perversion, ignorance, illiteracy and all negativity launched against the local school system.

“We will prayerfully counter-attack the negativity in our schools and our land, launched against the next generation,” said Reverend Diana Francis, SCM National President. “This time of prayer will address prayer for our nation, crime and government, the home and family, the leaders and shapers of educational policy (Minister of Education, Direction, District Superintendents, Education Officials and Principals), students, the Church, youth leaders and national youth revival.”

Initially hesitant when the idea came to her to host a prayer rally, Rev Francis said the Lord impressed her to execute the plan. “When I received heart-breaking reports coming from a school regarding an extreme case of violence against a child and in another case, calls of urgencies from a school for strong spiritual intervention, I said I must move forward. I feel that we cannot simply sit back and allow negativity to overtake us. The expression is still true - ‘evil prevails when good men do nothing’.

She believes the Bahamas has seen a rise in the amount of anti-social behaviour amongst youth and young adults and vices such as violence, crime, murder, poverty, drug abuse and perversion are plaguing children.

It is her desire to see the murder rate decrease, illegal weaponry non-existent, peace on school campuses and to see schools become safe havens for focused education.

The prayer rally will be addressed by a number of speakers, including Pastor Ivan Rolle of Comfort House Ministries; Apostle Sterling McPhee of the Jubilee Christian Centre; Pastor Dr Rosetta Clare of the Rhema Family Development Centre; and Elder Cora McPhee of New Bethlehem Baptist Church. Youth leaders will include National Baptist Youth Department Director Rev Deno Cartwright; Pastor Shamron Musgrove representing the Bahamas Faith Ministries International; and SCM students. The Jordan Prince Williams Baptist High’s SCM will minister in song and various churches will render selections of worship and dance.

Rev Francis’ hope is to establish the prayer infrastructure that the schools and nation greatly need. She is looking forward to seeing God intervene in the Bahamas as a result of this prayer rally and campaign.

“This event is only the beginning,” she said. “It was Lord Alfred Tennyson that said ‘More things are wrought by prayer than this world could ever dream of’. Prayer invites the intervention of Almighty God. It is our desire for persons holding illegal weapons to turn in their guns. It is our desire to provide counselling for the great degree of anger, hatred, covetousness and the jealousy that seems to be prevalent in our land. We are looking to provide counseling and support to hurting people, who struggle in areas of violence, brokenness and emotional pain.”