Thousands Are Expected To Turn Out To Exalt Christ -- March For Jesus Planned

March for Jesus For more information on the 10:30 a.m. march next Saturday, call 483-5725.

No protesting, no politics, not even a little whining will be allowed.

Is that any way to stage a march and rally in the fractious 1990s?

You bet, says the Rev. Pete Battjes, statewide coordinator of this year's March for Jesus, which in Seattle will unfold along the downtown waterfront starting at 10:30 a.m. next Saturday.

"The whole intent of the march is to exalt Jesus Christ publicly, because he is worthy of all praise, honor and glory. That is entirely it. That is the whole focus," said Battjes.

If anyone thinks that has the makings of a boring morning, Battjes predicts a turnout of 10,000 to 15,000 participants who will prove otherwise.

And the Seattle crowd will be part of a global gathering of 10 million to 15 million people who will be marching for Jesus in 1,500 cities in more than 170 nations, he said.

Battjes said the worldwide event will offer unity and encouragement in a time of turmoil.

"As a result of man's sinfulness, there is an attempt to overpower other people for selfish reasons. This results in the turmoil we are experiencing. But God's love continues to offer people hope through salvation in Jesus Christ and the promise of everlasting life," he said. He added that God responds to prayers and changes lives, and "changed lives change communities."

The Seattle participants will begin gathering at Pier 62 at 9:30 a.m. The one-mile-long march to Myrtle Edwards Park will commence at 10:30 a.m., followed by a prayer assembly and concert in the park. In addition to parking along the waterfront, Battjes said people can park in the South Kingdome Lot C for $2 and take a free shuttle bus to Pier 62.

Participants are asked to bring banners exalting Jesus, Christian flags from their churches and flags of different nations. They also are being asked to bring a can of food to donate to the Salvation Army food bank.

Protest banners, and flags or signs publicizing an individual church's name will not be permitted, he said.

This year's theme is "Jesus, King of the Nations." For the first time, the march will be truly global, said Battjes. Last year, people in 47 nations took part, about one-fourth the number of countries expected to be venues this year.

The March for Jesus originated in London in 1987,when Youth with a Mission, Pioneer Ministries and the Ichthus Fellowship combined to put on the event. The inaugural march drew 15,000. Marches began in the United States five years ago, and in Seattle three years ago, said Battjes, who is an Assemblies of God pastor.

The first march in Seattle in 1992 drew 9,500 participants from throughout Washington state, he said. It began at the Kingdome and wound through Pioneer Square. In 1993, the march switched to the waterfront, where streets would not have to be closed off. The crowd numbered 5,200, but for the first time Tacoma, Spokane and Bellingham also held their own marches, drawing sizable crowds, said Battjes.

This year 16 cities in Washington will have Marches for Jesus. Residents from the Eastside and Everett will take part in the Seattle march, said Battjes, who is coordinating the local event.

The scriptural passage undergirding this year's march is Psalm 113:3 - "From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised."

So from the rising of the sun in New Zealand, through every time zone over the next 24 hours, Marches for Jesus will be taking place, not only in cities but on board ships in the middle of oceans and even in some prison facilities, said Battjes. Inmates at the Washington Corrections Center at Shelton will be able to meet in the center's chapel in lieu of an actual march, said associate superintendent Larry Norris.

This year's March for Jesus is being put on in coordination with the A.D. 2000 Prayer Track, a world evangelism organization founded by Dr. Peter Wagner, a professor of church growth at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif.

The March for Jesus will stress the diversity of people and worship experiences within the Christian community. But all find a "oneness of purpose" in Jesus Christ, Battjes said.

Sharing the platform at Myrtle Edwards Park will be the Rev. Leonard John, a Tlingit Indian and pastor of Seattle's All Tribes Assembly of God Church; the Rev. Rick Danner, pastor of New Light Christian Church in the city's Central Area; the Rev. George Frost, pastor of the Christian Life Fellowship Center, also in the Central Area; Cal Uomoto, Western Washington director of World Relief, a Christian relief and development organization that is helping to resettle refugees in the United States; and Jane Hansen, international president of Women's Aglow Fellowship International, based in Edmonds.

"The emphasis this year of the March for Jesus is reconciliation with North American Indians and African Americans," said John, who will read the opening Scriptures at the prayer assembly. "It's very exciting to see what is happening." He noted that churches have spent millions on evangelizing Third World countries, "but sitting right here in our own backyard is a group of neglected people, North American Indians, who desperately need the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ."