SPEAKER — The Rev. Jeffrey L. Stanford, pastor of Second Baptist Church in Steubenville, gave a spirited speech during the Steubenville Martin Luther King Jr. Association’s annual Prayer Breakfast, Saturday. — Christopher Dacanay
STEUBENVILLE — Sharing food and fellowship, dozens of individuals looked to the example of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as they prayed for the welfare of their community, its youth, the nation and political leaders.
Those prayers were offered during the Steubenville Martin Luther King Jr. Association’s annual Prayer Breakfast, which took place Saturday morning at the Sycamore Youth Center. The event featured catering by Soulful Spoon and a keynote address by the Rev. Jeffrey L. Stanford, pastor of Second Baptist Church.
Acting as master of ceremonies was the Rev. Benjamin L. Calvert II, pastor of Mount Carmel Community Baptist Church. Calvert is a board member for the MLK association, which provides scholarships to Steubenville City School students each year through a King-themed essay contest.
“We want to, on this day, celebrate and honor the life of (King), whose message, ministry, vision and faith are such a reminder of the goodness of God and whose spirit is so much needed in this day and age,” Calvert said.
The Rev. DeWayne Sims of Calvary Community Missionary Baptist Church prayed the invocation, giving thanks for a new day and asking for diligence in accomplishing God’s will.
Melanie Ware of St. Peters African Methodist Episcopal Church in Weirton then offered a musical solo, “Give Me a Clean Heart.” She would later offer another selection, “He Touched Me.”
Bobbyjon Bauman, executive director of the Sycamore Youth Center, welcomed attendees to the center, which provides after-school programming with a Christian foundation for more than 500 children.
Tiffany Beckwith, interim director of Urban Mission Ministries Inc., offered a prayer for the community. In her prayer, she asked for God to be with all community organizations and their efforts, which she said would be ineffective without that presence.
The Rev. Vaughn Foster, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Mingo Junction, prayed for the community’s youth, asking for protection over them, for their needs to be met and for them to be rightly situated in life.
Bishop Jermaine V. Moore Sr., pastor of Mount Zion Baptist Church, prayed for the nation and political leaders, asking that they be reminded of the “profound responsibility they hold to advocate for justice, to listen to the voices of the marginalized and to seek the common good.”
The Rev. Maurice Lawson of Second Baptist Church introduced Stanford, his pastor and friend. According to his biography, Stanford is the former president of the Alliance for Congregational Transformation Influencing Our Neighborhoods, as well as the founder of the Rites of Passage for Educational Programs, a mentorship program for young men.
In his speech, Stanford reflected on the Biblical story of a young David slaying the giant Goliath with nothing but a sling and some stones. He asked whether, in 2024, there is a “stone of hope” for King’s dream of civil rights and equality for Black Americans to be realized. Using the Biblical text, Stanford derived three lessons to aid individuals in fighting for that dream when circumstances seem insurmountable.
Stanford’s first takeaway from the Biblical story was “You have to be willing to fight for those who aren’t willing to fight for themselves.” Just as David fought on behalf of Israel when no one else would stand against the giant, Stanford said individuals must be willing to do what is right despite a lack of support.
Next, Stanford said individuals “have to be ready and willing to face the giants.” While most won’t have to battle a 9-foot-tall warrior, many are faced with “giant” personal challenges. The exceptional opposition from society that King faced in his work is an example of how individuals should be willing to grapple with the issues in their own lives, Stanford added.
Finally, Stanford asked, “Are you ready to take a stone to a sword fight?” Equipment-wise, Goliath far out-matched David, Stanford said. Similarly, African Americans have always faced a “fixed fight” simply due to the “pigment of our skin.” Even so, Stanford said, David trusted in God, and Black Americans must do likewise and pursue all methods of political activism to fight for change.
David’s real triumph was not in winning against Goliath but in going in the first place, in spite of the unfavorable odds, Stanford said, adding, “Every fight, you’ve got to at least go.”
“Dr. King had a dream, but this is your dream. What’s going to happen after today, what’s going to happen after this election, what’s going to happen in Steubenville, Ohio — it’s your dream,” Stanford said in conclusion.
The Rev. Jim Baber, pastor of Calvary Community Missionary Baptist Church and president of the MLK association, thanked all those who came to the event and who made it possible. He also asked for individuals to support the association in its mission to provide scholarships.
“That was one of the ideals of Dr. King, is that we need to have skills, and we need to be educated,” Baber said, adding, “We want (the scholarship recipients) ultimately to live better than we live.”
Saturday’s event was the kickoff in anticipation of the 2025 Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which will occur Jan. 20.
The association has multiple events planned for the holiday, including an MLK ecumenical service at 6 p.m. on Jan. 19 at Mount Carmel community Baptist Church, MLK reflections at 9 a.m. on Jan. 20 at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center and an MLK youth and children’s program at 10 a.m. on Jan. 20 at the Sycamore Youth Center.
Steubenville High School’s Pathfinder’s Awards Ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. on Feb. 14. The essay program is chaired by Crystal Wicker.
Association member Cyndie Howard made an appeal for membership to the association, to help prepare for its programs.
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