Students and non-students, churched and non-churched. All came together on the Georgia Southern University campus Thursday night for one purpose: to worship God and to pray for the college and the Statesboro community.
The 4th Annual GSU Prayer Walk on Greek Row seeks to bring together the college campus and the community that they call home for one designated night to pray and worship in unison. While most walked down Greek Row, non-Greek students came from other parts of the campus; a few non-students showed up, a couple of four-legged ones came on leashes, and one shorter than two feet arrived in a stroller.
John Daniel Brannen, one of the organizers of this year’s event along with Davis Wiggins, said, “God flipped my world upside down this past year and has shown me what true love and joy is through Christ. I owe my life to him, and I’d want nothing more than to serve him in the fullness of his presence, especially on the Georgia Southern Campus.
“I know there are so many lost souls, just as I was, with that emptiness in their hearts, longing to be filled with something that is everlasting and satisfying.”
Guest speaker Hank Nunnaly, a GS fraternity member, spoke after a time of worship and talked about that emptiness and searching.
Nunnaly shared openly of his “partying” during the first years of his college career. Nunnaly said he was brought up in a church environment, but didn’t feel like he had a relationship with God. Yet, each time he took part in the partying scene, he felt a conviction for his actions and longed to stop.
Finally, in March of this year, Nunnaly admits that he said, “I can’t do this anymore.” He reached out to a friend who’d often encouraged him along the way. With that friend’s help, a night at a Kappa Alpha bible study and a ministry event in another town, Nunnaly made huge changes in his life.
“I sat in my room and wrote down all the things I needed to repent from,”said Nunnaly. “I gave my life to Jesus. I lost all desire to do the things I’d been doing.”
Nunnally told the crowd of mostly students, “Drinking, drugs, girlfriends, boyfriends, money, popularity – all those things bring temporary pleasure to our lives. What you’re thirsting for is the cross – it’s all about Jesus.”
With candles in hand, the large crowd spread out along Greek Row to pray, individually, in groups of two or three, in clusters, or in large groups seated at their own sorority house.
Miranda Roberson, Crissie Davison and Ansley Thompson sat together on the curb near the Phi Mu Sorority house. Newly initiated freshmen, the girls were thrilled to be part of the Greek Row Prayer Walk.
“I was especially encouraged during Rush this year by the connection with Christ that the [Phi Mu] girls shared,” said Roberson. “The accountability we found through our sorority is amazing.”
“We’d heard about this night, that it was the best night of all, and we’ve looked forward to it,” said Thompson.
Davison added, “Encountering God and seeing people come together, Greek and non-Greek – it was a great night.”
Statesboro native Darien Waters came to the event with friends from the Baptist Collegiate Ministry, one of Georgia Southern’s many campus ministry organizations. Waters said, “What an awesome night of worship music and a great speaker, but most of all, hearing the joyful noise that was made across Greek Row tonight.”