RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) – Students around the country participated in See You at the Pole group prayers Wednesday morning as part of the Global Week of Student Prayer campaign.
See You at the Pole is “a prayer rally where students meet at the school flagpole before school to lift up their friends, families, teachers, school, and nation to God,” the event’s website indicated.
Nearly 40 students gathered to pray outside Elizabeth Davis Middle School in Chesterfield.
“We feel like any opportunity to take a stand for our Christians beliefs is important to do,” Chesterfield parent and Mount Pleasant Baptist Church student ministries administrative assistant Amy Meadows said. “The fact the kids are taking leadership, coming together and praying shows some hope for our future.”
Meadows said she felt the event is important because she felt Christians in this country are regularly persecuted.
“We’re praying around the flag pole, we’re not using the school,” Meadows said. “Everyone is welcome. We as Christians have our freedom as well. Many times in our society, our rights are being violated. If other religions wanted to gather and do something, no one could tell them they couldn’t do it.”
The approximate number of Central Virginia students who participated in See You at the Pole prayer groups is not yet available.
“Students gathered at approximately five Hanover County schools today,” Hanover County Schools spokeswoman Linda Scarborough wrote in an email. “The number of students ranged from less than five at one school to approximately 25 or 30 at several other school buildings.”
A spokesman for Henrico County Schools said there was a See You at the Pole prayer group scheduled for Pocahontas Middle School.
A spokesman for Chesterfield County Schools said a cumulative profile of schools where this might have occurred was not available.