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Churches unite on Good Friday

Day of remembering: Lyndell Nelson plays her part in the Walk of Witness ceremony on the steps of the Echuca Uniting Church.
Playing his part: Dr James Teh was one of the congregation members invited to complete a reading for the combined churches service, which visited three churches in the Echuca CBD on Friday.
Following along: Josiah Jasper keeps pace with the readings during the Echuca service.
All shapes and sizes: Amelia Stevenson, fittingly with her bunny rabbit at the Easter celebration, with Westan and Janine Johnson.
United in prayer: Salvation Army’s Gwen Paesler and Christ Church Anglican representative Miriam Jackson combine to pay tribute at the Good Friday service.
Offering her hand: Christ Church Anglican’s Jenny Sudholz offers up her hand in support of the activity during the combined churches ceremony.
Sharing a moment: Joanna and Reverend Michele Lees in full voice during a hymn at the Walk of Witness ceremony on Friday.
Musical moment: Donovan Jasper provided the music for the initial stages of the ceremony, which attracted several people early on Friday morning.
Leading the prayer: Echuca-Moama Salvation Army officer Sonia Edwards took the lead role in Friday’s Hare St service, prior to the Walk of Witness through the centre of the town.
Official party: Donovan Jasper, Reverend Phil Zamagias, Father Nova, Sonia Edwards, Chris and Hannah Stevenson, Ken Cunnington, Reverend Michele Lees, Frank Bassett, representating the New Life Baptist, Christ Church Anglican, St Mary’s Catholic, Salvation Army, Epicentre, Echuca Moama Uniting and Echuca Community Church.

Echuca and Moama’s church communities combined resources on Good Friday to present a united front during a Walk of Witness ceremony in Hare St.

The walk started at the Hare St Uniting Church and followed a route to the Anglican Church and Catholic Church before returning to its starting point.

Reverend Michele Lees said the event involved several other churches and had become popular since it was reintroduced to the community last year.

“It involves a lot of the Echuca-Moama church communities, including Anglican, Baptist, Epicentre, Catholic and Salvation Army,” Reverend Lees said.

She said it was the single biggest gathering of the church communities for the year.

“It is one of the few really big things we do.

“Toward Christmas we get together again to do something, but the Walk of Witness is a significant event for the community,” she said.

Reverend Lees and another volunteer combined to revive the event last year, with the support of the Echuca-Moama Ministers’ Association.

The walk replicated the Stations of the Cross of Jesus, the journey and events that occurred on the day Jesus was crucified.

Echuca-Moama Salvation Army’s Sonia Edwards led the service, which has musical support from Donovan Jasper, and Reverend Phil Zamagias also gave a service with Reverend Lees at the shared event.