Take A Knee and Pray for 9 minutes and 29 seconds
On Tuesday 25 May, the anniversary of the murder of George Floyd, his former Pastor, Patrick Ngwolo will lead people around the world in prayer as part of the 9:29 Prayer Challenge.
The 9:29 Prayer Challenge is an exciting and innovative event to pray for racial justice and healing across the globe. Last year, the world witnessed the horrific murder of George Floyd in the streets of Minneapolis, adding to the many lives lost due to police brutality and racial injustice. One year on, the I Will Tell International Film Festival, Sankofa Collective and the Crush Racism Challenge are marking the anniversary of his death with this challenge to people around the world to take a knee and pray.
The Challenge aims to turn that horrific event of May 25th 2020 on its head by mirroring the sequence of events in reverse starting with silence, then a time of prayer led by Pastor Ngwolo and finally declarations for racial justice and healing based on the last 7 words of George Floyd.
Pastor Ngwolo noted that while the hashtags being used are the same, the frequency with which they are being used is increasing. He added:
“The world is going through birth pains and [for] those of us wo are Kingdom-minded, those of us who are seeking Justice, Freedom and liberation, it’s not time to sit back and only lament, it’s also time to push … so that we can see the manifestation of the Kingdom of God”
Co-founders of the Challenge: Jenny Lee (I Will Tell International Film Festival and the Crush Racism Challenge) and Dr Lisa Adjei (Sankofa Collective) say they are moved by the early responses to the Challenge so far and are working towards the event being a significant contribution to the push to end racism.
Last year, in the aftermath of Mr Floyd’s murder and the global protests that followed, many became deeply aware of the extent of racism for the first time. But only a couple of months later, interest in race issues had already started to wane.
One year later, what would it look like for us all to stand united, praying for the uprooting of racial injustice from our societies and declaring ‘let justice flow like a river’?
The Challenge is calling on everyone who is passionate about racial justice and believes that God answers prayers, to take a knee and pray for 9 minutes and 29 seconds at 8:30 pm in their timezone on Tuesday 25 May. People can do it on their own, with their family, friends, work colleagues, church or small group.
They are also calling on church leaders to be ambassadors of the Challenge in their area and are providing some additional support for this. Some individuals have already started sending video challenges to their friends and family to take the 9:29 Challenge. The organisers hope that this momentum will grow in the week leading up to the anniversary of Mr Floyd’s death.
NOTES:
Pastor Patrick Ngwolo and co-founders Jenny Lee and Lisa Adjei are available for interview.
The UK session led by Pastor Patrick Ngwolo will take place on zoom and is open to everyone across the world with introductions starting from 8:20pm BST on Tuesday 25 May.
Registration link www.bit.ly/929PrayerChallenge.
Pastor Ngwolo will also be hosting his own event at 8:30 pm CT on Tuesday 25 May
About I Will Tell International Film Festival
The I Will Tell International Film Festival celebrates powerful, authentic stories that have been hidden, forgotten or ignored. Now in its 15th year, the festival premieres high quality dramas, documentaries, short films and animation from around the world that contribute to a more complete global narrative, challenging perspectives and inspiring and motivating in ways that are truly transformative.
About the Sankofa Collective
The Sankofa Collective is a community of Christians who are passionate about learning our collective history, engaging in lament and repentance, and seeking ways to walk towards racial justice. ‘Sankofa’ is a word used by the Akan tribe in Ghana and is a compound of three words – san (return), ko (go), and fa (look, seek, take). We must go back and learn from the past in order to build a better future.
About the Crush Racism Challenge
The Crush Racism Challenge is an initiative set up to equip, encourage and empower those who understand that Black Lives Matter and are willing to do something about it. CRUSH stands for Committed and Resilient Until Something Happens. The Challenge is focussed on transformative action and the group comprises men and women of all ages, nationalities, faiths and walks of life who are committed to ending racism.
OTHER LINKS
www.Iwilltell.tv
www.facebook.com/groups/iwilltell
www.instagram.com/iwilltellfilmfestival
www.instagram.com/sankofacollectiveuk
#929Prayer #929PrayerChallenge