Strength in unity: St Paul’s Lutheran Church hosts interfaith service ahead of MLK Day

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — 2024 marks 55 years since Martin Luther King Jr was killed, with his messages and views continuing to be talked about and spread throughout the country.

And a day before the celebration of his life, many Cape Fear faith leaders gathered at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church for an interfaith service honoring King.

An imam and rabbi read passages from the Quran and the Torah, while readings from the New Testament were also part of the service.

Jonathan Conrad is the senior pastor for St. Paul’s.

He said the service showed more people were fighting to bring King’s messages to life than people were fighting against them.

“There is strength in numbers,” Conrad said. “That there are a lot more of us who want to work together, to end racism, to teach people how to love one another, respect one another. And the more people who are a part of that, it’s easier to reach more people.”

Dr. Jay Augustine was the service’s guest speaker.

He said setting aside differences between people is just one way to spread Dr. King’s messages.

“Doctor King said either we will learn to live together as brothers and sisters parenthetically, or we will perish as fools,” Augustine said. “We’ve got to be able to put our differences, be them theological, be them in terms of our denominational practices. Put those things aside and focus on the commonality that we share and that we are all persons were created by the living God.”

There are plenty of other events going on on Monday celebrating the life and legacy of MLK.