Honoring King’s Legacy

Published 12:00 pm Sunday, January 19, 2020

Several celebrations for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Jan. 20 have been scheduled in the Tift area.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast is set for 8:30 a.m. at the Tift County Recreation Department.

The event, which is sponsored by PLIGHT, Inc., will feature Pastor Dr. I. Edward Mack as the keynote speaker.

Mack is the pastor at Unionville Missionary Baptist Church in Macon and is the longest tenured pastor in the UMBC’s 151 year history, according to his biography.

His biography states that his pastoral tenure started at White Spring Baptist Church in Lizella in 1983.

The breakfast is a ticketed event. Tickets are available through PLIGHT or by calling Melissa Hughes at 229-326-0241.

After the breakfast, the 13th annual Tifton-Tift County Martin Luther King Jr. Ecumenical Commemorative Service is scheduled to take place at Greater Springfield Baptist Church, located at 507 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, starting at 10:45 a.m.

“The Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Service takes place annually and (was) created to honor the Ecumenical nature, message, and philosophy of Dr. King,” said Ambrose King, Jr., the founder and coordinator of the service, in an email. “Most importantly, (it was) created to honor the preaching and Christian tradition of Dr. King. It engages members of various religious traditions in the community amongst the local governing community to encourage them to invite the philosophy of love, forgiveness, and civil disobedience in decision-making that affect the lives of all their citizens, parishioners, and consumers.”

King said the free service will commemorate Dr. King’s 91st birthday and “his commitment to moral principles of faith in God and the church.”

The service will feature the MLK Community Choir formed by musicians Marvin Williams and Aaron Mack; a live painting by Tifton native artist Jason “Jhigh” Hightower; a special presentation from Soprano Ms. M. Tyler Foster who will do a “medley of negro spirituals;” contemporary christian artist Precious Melton; Morehouse College student preachers; and local ministers and elected officials, according to King.