Tuesday, May 14, 2024
The Jesus Reigns Parade and Celebration took place in Granbury Saturday, Sept. 16. This was the fifth year for the event to take place locally. The parade route came down Pearl Street from Morgan went through Granbury Square and ended at Hewlett Park for an all-day celebration. The parade included dancers from Glen Rose’s ‘The Promise.’
Parade participants and spectators gathered at the park for teaching from area pastors and worship music from area bands. Food trucks and snow cones added to the festive atmosphere.
Estimates are that this year's event in Granbury had about double the number of participants as last year.
Beginning in the Philippines with the vision of uniting Christians. Currently the event is held across 82 provinces of the Philippines simultaneously. The movement has spread to Japan, Indonesia, and the United States. The theme for this year's event was “Intimacy with the Word.”
The movement has been stateside since 2012. According to jesusreignsusa.us the mission of the Jesus Reigns event is “To continue commemorating the Jesus Reigns: A Day of Celebration every year by gathering all churches and promoting unity in the body of Christ, simultaneously in every state/province in the nations. To reach out to unbelievers and declare that there is hope in Jesus.”
Core values of the group are described as “P.A.U.S.E.- prayer, anonymity, unity, sacrificial giving, and excellence.”
The movement came to Granbury because a member of Pure Praise church of Granbury is from the Philippines and is a friend of the founder who began the movement.
“I am so stoked about it! I am still stoked about it,” said Jenny Wager Thomas who is the social media coordinator for the event.
Thomas mentioned how encouraging it was to see so much growth.
“We started in 2019 at the worst possible time. We didn’t have permission or a permit yet, so we just drove around the square twice with our flags in the back of pick-up trucks, saying ‘Jesus Reigns’ and headed back to the church and we felt blessed to get to do that,” shared Thomas.
The following year was bleak for the participants with the obvious challenges of COVID-19. But the movement has been gaining speed since then and event organizers were happy to see people from the community along the parade route.
“We had at least double the attendance of the previous year. It’s just so awesome! I was so overwhelmed all of the time,” shares Thomas.
The local movement has grown a lot in just five years, this year six different bands performed: the Band Jam, Redemption 180, Apostle Road, Spirit River, Praise Band from the Heights Burleson, and the worship band from the Church of God with Shlena leading.
Rudy Arista’s ministry Acts 2 provided tents for the event. Arista was also the closing speaker. Other speakers included Alan Latta, Pastor Lowell, Jesse Johnson, Drew Dill, and others. A total of eleven churches across different denominations participated.
At the park the event had a tent designated as a prayer tent where Kathy Biggers led the prayer team. Biggers is the lead for the Prayer Task Force of Granbury which is part of The National Day of Prayer Task Force and a ministry of the Lake Granbury Ministerial Alliance. There was a tent as well for kids’ activities.
Replying via email Misty Hancock who blew the shofar for the event said, “The King of Glory Jesus Reigns over Granbury and our state of Texas and our nation. ‘Lift up your heads O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of Glory. Selah. Psalms 24:8-10’”
“We have felt from the very beginning that our city needs Jesus, it’s a perfect opportunity for all the churches, well, all the people to come together. All the people who know Jesus are part of the church,” said Thomas who looks forward to seeing how the movement grows by next year.
Hancock also shared, “Jesus wants His people to return to Him, their first love – who handknit you in your mother’s womb. ‘For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son so that whoever believes in Him will have everlasting life.’”
Ronnie Allard of Pure Praise Church is the coordinator for Jesus Reigns Texas. For questions call Allard at 817-279-3063.
