NEWBERRY — St. John Baptist Church will celebrate the coming of 2016 on New Year’s Eve with a Watch Night Service open to anyone who wants to bring in the new year in a positive way while thanking God for a year coming to an end.
The Rev. Lorenzo Washington said Watch Night services have a rich history with origins that date back to the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 when slaves gathered and waited for the new year.
According to Washington, when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, slaves knew of the coming day. He said while slaves were not allowed to know how to read or write, slaves who did, due to whatever circumstances, spread the word that the proclamation was signed and passed.
“At 12 o’clock would be the change of another day. So they gathered around inside of churches, all the local churches they could. They did this to await that significant day, that they were for the first time going to be free, a grand occasion,” he said.
Washington said modern day services are a way to celebrate the beginning of a new year and to ask for it to be blessed.
“What we do on Watch Night is we come in and thank God for bringing us through another year and taking us to a brand new year,” he said. “For Christians, we like to say we are going to be worshipping God all year long. We just celebrate the beginning of the new year the Lord has once again blessed us to see.”
Washington said Watch Night Services are for anyone who wants to come and worship. He said as Christians, they want to bring everyone together and tell God thank you for another year.
“The service evolved because people realized, now you are free, but wanted to continue traditions of meeting at the brink of a new day. Then the church took it to a point instead of just thanking God for freeing us as slaves, wanting to tell God thank you for bringing us through another year,” Washington said.
St. John Baptist Church has held a Watch Night Service since Washington joined the church. Washington said while the church had held the service in the past, he restarted Watch Night when he came on. Normally, between 125 and 150 people attend, some from the church and others from other churches.
The Watch Night Service will begin at 10 p.m. Dec. 31. Praise and worship will be followed by personal testimonies from those who attend about what God has done for them in 2015. Choirs will perform and the service will transition into the Watch Night Service message.
The church is located at 5614 S.C. 219. Washington will preach the message around 11:30 p.m. and will preach right on into the new year.
“Whatever God decides to do, we will do. We really do not have a format or program. We kind of go with it that way,” Washington said. “The main aspect of the service is just to bring people together, give people the opportunity no matter the nationality, to come in, sing a song and be in the service.”
Mary Sims, a member of St. John, said the Watch Night Service means two things to her: thanking God for this year and next.
“First, Thanking God for life, health and strength for me and my family for this year (2015). Thanking God for his love, mercy and grace, for what can we do without the love of the Almighty God. Although I had my ups and my downs this year, God was always with me and seeing me through. Second, thanking God for allowing me to see a new year, a new year to serve God, a new year to do better and be better,” she said.
Washington said the service is open to anyone who wants to attend. Space is not an issue but in the event the church fills up, the church has an overflow room with a television screen that will show the service.