A church in the Manhattan neighborhood of Harlem, run by pro-Israel Bishop Carlton Brown, included a special prayer for the Jewish people and the State of Israel in its weekly Sunday prayer on January 4.
Brown, who runs an association of 18 churches in New York and serves as Senior Pastor of the Bethel Gospel Assembly, organized the event.
Approximately 1,000 people participated in the special prayer, which was attended by Israel's Consul-General to New York Assi Shariv and covered by every major New York television station.
Brown was in Israel three times last year – including the besieged Negev city of Sderot. “Bethel’s commitment to the nation of Israel spans 20 years," Brown told congregants. "If there was ever a time we needed to stand with the people of Israel in prayer, it is at this critical time when they need our urgent support the most.”
Shariv heaped praised on Brown for organizing the special prayer, during which Shariv also read aloud a peace-based children's book written by prisoner-of-war Gilad Shalit. "When the operation in Gaza began, [Brown] asked to do something for Israel," Shariv said. "Seeing the support today for the people of Israel is heartwarming."
As part of international celebrations for Israel's 60th Independence Day in May, Brown also participated in the Jerusalem Prayer Banquet, an event for religious leaders sponsored by the United Nations.