Jesus Day 2000' inspires faithful

800 Christians unite in rally at City Park

Denver Rocky Mountain News, June 12, 2000
By John C. Ensslin

Brenda Dulin came home from church Sunday and changed into her "God" T-shirt before heading to City Park.

There, she joined approximately 800 Christians from several denominations in celebrating "Jesus Day 2000."

"My shirt says what I believe in," she said, standing in the shade of a tree as a choir of people from several churches belted out Christian songs. Dulin's shirt had a long list of expressions that began with "God is like ..."

"God is like love, he sees no color," the shirt read. The large multiracial gathering drew people from 42 religious groups, said Gordon England, director of evangelism for Promise Keepers.

The Rev. Phillip Porter of the All Nations Pentecostal Center and chairman emeritus of Promise Keepers called the event a "dress rehearsal."

"We're just getting ready for the day when all the people of the land will meet in that heavenly place," he told the crowd.

"There are churches here from all over the city," Porter said after he stepped down from the band shell. "We're excited because we're looking forward to the next two or three years of doing this event."

England said organizers had been planning Sunday's gathering since February. It was the 10th anniversary of the March for Jesus, but instead of a march, the group gathered to hear music.

This year's event came one day after "Jesus Day," a national event in which Christians do community service. For example, Wendell Sprague and seven other members of the Corona Presbyterian Church cleaned up an elderly woman's back yard.

"She was really thankful. She hadn't been able to open the back door in five years," Sprague said. "We also opened up a window and put a fan in it."

"It doesn't sound very religious," Sprague said. "But it's sort of the thing Jesus was interested in; helping people instead of going around preaching or just talking about it."