Mansfield community to honor the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Jan. 14

The Mansfield community will gather to remember and honor the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. during a Jan. 14 church service, the day before the national holiday memorializing the civil rights leader.

Sponsored by the Mansfield Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance, or MIMA, the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Service will be held at 5 p.m. Jan. 14 at the Latter Rain Church of God in Christ, 251 Glessner Ave.

Martin Luther King Day is observed every year on the third Monday of January − on Jan. 15 this year. King was an influential civil rights leade, best known for his work on racial equality and fighting to end racial segregation in the United States. His life and achievements are remembered and celebrated on this day.

Superintendent Louis Blevins will serve as host pastor.

Laurence Rawls, PhD., the pastor at Mount Sinai Baptist Church, will be the speaker.

MIMA formed over 40 years ago

The Mansfield Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance was formed over 40 years ago by several local African American pastors: Aaron Williams, Sr.-Maddox Memorial COGIC; Archie Johnson, Jr. Mt. Calvary Baptist Church; Verdell Larson-Providence Baptist Church; Joel King-Mount Hermon Baptist Church; Bishop Walter Jordan-St. Johns/Oasis COGIC; David Dennis-New Jerusalem Progressive COGIC; Moses Eubanks-First Baptist-Crestline; Jack D. Middlebrook-Mt Calvary Baptist Church; and Elder Henry Washington.

The pastors decided to form an alliance to lead not only in the Church, but in the community, Rawls said.

Today the MIMA (abbreviation, pronounced My mah) is composed of 22 churches of multiple denominations, and the organization is interracial.

The goal is the same, but more emphasis has been placed on programming for youth, he added.

Annual Community Day where MIMA partners with other local organizations and offers free food, "give-aways," and gives away bookbags filled with school supplies (compliments of Crossroads Church) to youngsters grades 2-6.

MIMA founded its own endowment,/scholarship, and scholarships are presented to North Central State College students each year.

MIMA sponsors an annual Passion Week during Palm Sunday week and sponsors the annual MLK service to celebrate and commemorate the work/legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King.

Rawls has been the president of MIMA since 2016, and under his leadership and vision the organization has grown to approximately 22 churches to include more female pastors, and churches that have predominately "white" parishioners.

"Personally, I am honored to have been voted in as president of this important organization, and I stand on the shoulders of those great pastors who led the way," Rawls said.

The public is invited.

lwhitmir@gannett.com

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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Rev. Laurence Rawls, will be the speaker at MLK Jr. memorial service