Steve Quayle News Alerts

November 12, 2003
Dave Baity

On Aug. 22, 2002, the Rev. Charles Reed conducted a community prayer session in Shelby to seek an end to about five years of drought that had almost dried up the First Broad River.

The river served as the water source for Shelby and the Cleveland County Sanitary District.

Reed, ministry team leader with the Greater Cleveland County Baptist Association, said convening a crowd of about 300 to pray for rain set him up for ridicule. And he heard from skeptics who doubted it would help.

But it rained the afternoon of the prayer service, he said.

"It wasn't a drought-buster," he said. "But the rains continued to come."

By late October, the First Broad River and streams across the Piedmont had filled -- and mandatory water restrictions in Shelby and area cities ended.

As a result, skeptics "were amazed, a little bewildered and said, `What is going on here?' " Reed said.

Now Reed has organized a 12:20 to 12:40 p.m. prayer session Thursday at Bethel Baptist Church, 606 S. DeKalb St. in Shelby, to seek an end to the economic drought that has sapped thousands of Cleveland County jobs.

According to the N.C. Employment Security Commission's Web site, the county's employed labor force of 43,640 in 1990 had dropped to 38,511 in September.

The county's unemployment rate dropped from 10.1 percent in August to 9.5 percent in September, but still is among the region's highest.

Reed isn't alone in believing that prayer can help.

"We've had calls from a number of our churches saying we need to come together for prayer," Reed said.

Elected officials and economic development professionals also embraced the upcoming community prayer service at a meeting last week, he said.

"They formed a steering committee to do this," Reed said. "We felt like having it before Thanksgiving would be a good time to do it."

Reed wouldn't predict the result.

"I don't know how God will work through this because I'm just a mere mortal," Reed said. "I know that God will answer in his own way in his own time. I trust that."

But he expects lots of good to come for workers who are hurting from the decline of the textile industry that once fueled the county's economy.

"This is a time of loss, a time of stress and strain," he said. "Some people are retraining so they can seek other jobs. Some are simply in a state of shock. The textile jobs we've lost aren't going to return."

He said the prayer session is more than a way to enlist a higher power to help bring new work to the community.

"This is a time we can show our loving care for people who have lost jobs through prayer," Reed said, "and focus more on helping them through the crisis ministry services our churches and association offer."

As far as skeptics who may doubt that asking God to intercede, Reed had this advice:

"Try it," he said. "You might like it."

Dave Baity

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/business/7240511.htm