The Gathering Waco, a Worship and Prayer Service, Will Be Held on Palm Sunday at Baylor’s McLane Stadium

March 23, 2017
The Gathering

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WACO, Texas (March 23, 2017) — Former NFL player/recovered drug addict/megachurch pastor Miles McPherson, along with a 1,000-voice choir and Christians eager to share their testimonies, will gather at Baylor University's McLane Stadium on Palm Sunday, April 9, for The Gathering Waco, an effort to promote unity between church and community.
The worship and prayer service is the second The Gathering event, with the inaugural one in 2015. It attracted more than 35,000 people, with thousands more viewing the service via live television and live streaming nationally and internationally, said Ramiro Peña, executive director of The Gathering and pastor of Christ the King Church in Waco.
Peña said that the theme of unity is inspired by Jesus' prayer for his followers in John 17, when he asked, "Father, make them one as you and I are one."
"We want to unite across racial and denominational lines," Peña said. "Miles labors to bring churches together, so we knew we had a phenomenal fit."
More than 100 churches and organizations, along with Baylor, have joined to sponsor The Gathering Waco, which includes a food drive for those in need. In 2015, The Gathering collected 15 tons of canned goods.
Leading the service will be Miles McPherson, formerly of the San Diego Chargers football team, and now pastor of Rock Church in San Diego, which has more than 19,000 worshippers and some 180 ministries to neighborhoods, youth groups, prisons and convalescent homes.
Giving their testimonies will be Baylor men's basketball coach Scott Drew and Jorge Ramos, a former convicted felon who now leads a ministry to ex-convicts.
Musical guest will be singer-songwriter Anthony Evans, Christian artist and talent producer from television's "The Voice," and a combination choir will be led by local worship directors.
McPherson, who recently spoke at luncheon of Central Texas pastors and community leaders involved in The Gathering, urged them to "Pray for a miracle . . . What happened in 2015 was just a taste, a bite. There's a full meal coming."
WHAT: The Gathering Waco 2017
WHEN: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sunday, April 9, 2017. McLane Stadium gates will open at 4:15 p.m., with pre-service music at 6 p.m. (The event will be streamed and broadcast live on www.KWTX.com, CW (Channel 12) from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
WHERE: McLane Stadium, 1001 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
COST: Free. However, attendees are asked to bring a minimum of two non-perishable canned food items, which will be provided to Caritas and Shepherd's Heart food pantries.
NEEDED: Volunteers to help with the collection of canned goods and moving them to trucks. To assist, please email Wayne Williams at WWilliams@fumcwaco.org. Volunteers should arrive no later than 5 p.m. at stadium B, C or D.
FOR HEARING-IMPAIRED: Reserved seating, with an interpreter, in Section 114.
SPANISH TRANSLATION: Available on The Gathering Waco app or at 96.7 FM, Amistad Radio, via a small portable radio or smartphone. Spanish-speaking attendees will need a radio or smartphone and headphones.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, including security procedures, concessions and directions, visit The Gathering website.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 16,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.