Uplifting the Community: Third Annual Clark Shaw Memorial Prayer Walk Focuses on West Jackson Neighborhood

Prayers filled the air as participants walked from street to street calling on residents to join them in fellowship.

JACKSON, Tenn., Oct. 12, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- On a warm Saturday morning in late September, an interdenominational group spent a few hours gathering and praying for Jackson. "Why are we here?" Jackson First Assembly of God Church Senior Pastor Garry Martin asked the crowd. "To pray!" The enthusiastic group responded while they stood in the parking lot of Barton's Home Outlet on Old Hickory Boulevard.

During the Third Annual Clark Shaw Memorial Prayer Walk, participants ? some for the first time ? strolled through the West Jackson neighborhood between Hollywood Drive and U.S. 45 Bypass. Old Country Store's third generation owner Brooks Shaw thanked the walkers for attending: "We're so thankful to see everyone here in our corner of the city. It's a special place, and we want to cover the area in prayer ? to pray for the people in the community ? the mothers, fathers, grandparents, schools, teachers and jobs. We also want to pray for the landlords and the tenants, the businesses ? that they are beacons of hope in the community. We pray for the community to know the saving love of Christ, as well as for the sheep ? that wolves will be kept at bay."

The gathering was a great representation of the late Clark Shaw's vision for the prayer walk. Jeri Traylor, a program manager with the Salvation Army, was dressed for a funeral that day but she was determined to attend. "I'll walk and pray for as long as I can," Traylor said. "I'm praying for the restoration of the family, for human decency, acceptance and equality. We all need to go to God and ask him to fix our problems."

Traylor was also there in memory of Shaw. "There wasn't anything we couldn't call on him for that he wouldn't offer to help," she said. "The Old Country Store has been a place for people in recovery, and he would give people our info, so it's an honor to be here."

Another participant, Jennifer Holmes, brought her 6-year-old golden retriever, Teddy, who was a superstar to everyone he met on that day. "If we do good for others, it comes full circle," she said. "We have to be willing to walk the walk and talk the talk." Holmes was inspired to help connect residents with people who can help meet their needs.

Charlotte Todd Leonard and her friend, Susan Davidson, carried white banners with "Jesus" written in large colorful letters. Leonard, who makes the banners, swung the banner from left to right, chopping the air as she prayed for safety and for the families of the area. The flag caught the attention of the young children playing outside on Rainbow Cove. When Leonard and Davidson asked the elder members of the Reid and Smith families if they could pray for them, they were blessed by the families' powerful testimony.

"When you know the Man who died on the cross, I have a reason to praise God," said Wavier Reid, a mother of six. "In 2014, one of my sons was shot. He was an innocent bystander, and he survived because God had another plan. Then in 2016 another one of my sons was killed, and my daughter died in 2018. I thank God that I don't look like what I've been through."

Leonard and Davidson were touched by her story. "We stopped to pray for them, and they ministered to us," Leonard said.

As Leonard and Davidson walked from Rainbow Cove, they joined Rev. Clarence Currie of New Day Ministries, whose booming voice echoed at the intersection of Greenfield Drive and Old Hickory Boulevard. "Thank God for those that are standing in the circle with me today. We pray for the businesses. We pray for every single household, for every child that attends Jackson-Madison County Schools ? that they will not lack education or nutrition. We will leave no one out. We will pray for Roscoe the dog and Fluffy the cat," Currie said.

The prayer walk culminated with a community cookout in Hartland's apartment complex, with hamburgers, hotdogs, bounce houses and community resources being served to guests. The cookout was hosted by the Jackson Police Department. Members of the Jackson Fire Department also attended the community event.

Lue Murray said it was important to take part in the prayer walk. "I had to come out and be a part of the walk," said Murray, who is a friend of Juanita Shaw, the widow of Clark Shaw. "Brooks is carrying on his father's legacy. The Shaw family's love for the community is genuine."

Arlington Elementary counselors Aimee Evans and Judy LaFont spent time with their students at the prayer walk. "We love our kids, and we're invested in them," Evans said. "We're not just in the school with them, but we also want to be a part of their lives."

The prayer walk is named in honor of Clark Shaw, who died in November 2020 from COVID-19; it is part of the work to share his mission of praying for the city as a whole and bringing more people to Christ. Clark Shaw operated The Old Country Store, which was founded by his father, Brooks Shaw, in 1965, as a Southern-style buffet, gift and ice cream shoppe. The tourist destination that has fed and hosted millions of guests through the past six decades. Clark's son, Brooks, is the third generation Shaw to run the business.

Open daily year-round (except for Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day), Brooks Shaw's Old Country Store includes the restaurant, Miss Anne's Ice Cream Shoppe, Miss Juanita's Gift Shop and the Dixie Café Takeout or Dine-In at 56 Casey Jones Lane in Jackson, Tennessee. Old Country Store will be celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2025. Individuals may learn more by visiting instagram.com/caseyjonesvillage, facebook.com/oldcountrystore and caseyjones.com or calling 731-668-1223.

Media Contact

Dawn Bramblett, Old Country Store, 731-608-7650, [email protected], caseyjones.com   

SOURCE Clark Shaw Memorial Prayer Walk