Each year, a group of ministers and chaplains organize a commemorative service to honor the legacy of a civil rights leader. The Parsons Ministerial Association recognized Dr. Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. on Sunday, ahead of the national holiday in his honor.
The service took place at Hamilton Chapel United Methodist Church.
“We like doing it, and it’s good to get participation from different groups of different denominations, and get different people involved,” PMA treasurer and Westside Christian Church Minister Doug Baty said. “I like the ecumenical part.”
Another PMA member, Stan Basler of Galesburg United Methodist Church said PMA were excited to bring the community together for the event.
Peter Choi, serving the local Wesley United Methodist Church, and the Hamilton Chapel United Methodist Church of Parsons, opened the event with a welcome.
Choi highlighted that King’s message calls everyone to stand together to care for one another and work toward a world where every person is treated with dignity and respect.
Vikings Dance and Color Guard performed a liturgical dance. Coach Brianne Ford noted that this was the second performance of the 2026 season.
“It’s always a privilege to be a part of the MLK celebration,” Ford said. “We consider it an honor to be invited year after year, and it’s a great way for our youth to be exposed to Black History and to celebrate the legacy of Dr. King.”
The service also featured solos from vocalist Kelli Hervey, and hymn accompaniment from pianist Ken Weaver.
During the service, an offering was taken to benefit scholarship programs for Parsons High School students. This year, the funds will go toward the newly established Henry Gatewood Scholarship, in partnership with the Veterans of Foreign Wars Brown-Bishop Post 704.
Four members of the Parsons Debate and Forensics program recited King’s famous “I Have a Dream” Speech. These students were Chei Tsinhnahjinnie, Magnolia Villano, Payton Corbett, and Breanna Manning.
Guest speaker Pastor Kayela Horn, of Saint Paul’s United Methodist Church in Joplin, Missouri, gave a speech titled: “Where Do We Go From Here.”
She noted that when people often forget what has happened in history.
“We can not forget where we have been, if we want to consider where it is that we have to go,” Horn said. “I think that is the first place that we start. But then the other hard part of this journey and figuring this out together is that we have to consider what here looks like now, and that’s the uncomfortable part.”
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Horn noted that in the last few years, there has been an increase in violence, including political violence.
“It doesn’t matter which political party you are in, whether you are conservative or progressive, violence is taking place among and against our people,” Horn said. “We see mass shootings taking place, and it has continued to rise at an alarming rate.”
Horn cited the Rockefeller Institute of Government’s tracking of such violence. She said that in 1966, there were two mass shooting events in the United States. As of January 14, 2026, the total has climbed to 510 events, with a total of 4,428 individuals directly harmed by such shootings, and 1,728 fatalities.
Of other issues that our country faces today, Horn also highlighted the education system’s lack of funding, the increase in health care costs, grocery costs, and the criminalization of homelessness. She also discussed the lack of due process American citizens and suspected illegal immigrants are facing with detentions and deportations.
In global issues, Horn noted the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and the still ongoing conflict with Palestine.
“This is where we are, and we can very easily claim that this is about politics, but my friends, I have to tell you that I don’t think that this is just political,” Horn said. “The very systems and structures that some of us in this room have relied on to get where we are today are being dismantled. Those who are hungry and thirsty and in need of rest — they’re being arrested for existing in life.”
Horn said that immigrants and the impoverished and those suffering in today’s world are “the least of these,” referencing Mark 25: 31-46.
“Psalm 67 says that God judges people with equity and guides the nations upon the Earth. Here and now, it is so much bigger than just us. It is so much bigger than ourselves,” Horn said. She added, “What is happening here is not just political. What is happening here is impacting God’s people, our neighbors, and some of us in this room.”
Horn highlighted King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, which was written to other clergymen who had denounced King’s protests. She says the letter is a reminder.
“There is work for us to do, especially as people of faith,” Horn said.
She noted that King lived out his faith by showing up for others, and was also a victim of political violence. She said his letter was a clarion call for churches and clergy to stand up and find their voice.
“I hope that we all use our voice to defend the rights of others. I hope that we share the good news for every person in our pulpits, in our classrooms, in our homes,” Horn said. “I hope that we can welcome the stranger and show compassion to the foreigner; that we can fill the food banks and provide shelter for the unhoused instead of criminalizing them.”
Horn again posed the question: “Where do we go from here?”
“We go out into the world to seek justice, to let mercy, to bear witness, and to walk humbly with our God,” Horn said in closing.
Travis Ball of First Baptist Church highlighted that such work can not be done alone.
“Being part of a family that is filled with different backgrounds, cultures, and hues of skin, I am keenly aware of the importance and impact that inclusion and equality make all richer and all flourish,” Ball said. “The dream that motivated and compelled a movement was founded upon our common unity in Christ Jesus. The same spirit in me is the same spirit that resides in you.”
