About 50 people gathered at noon today at Richmond City Hall to take part in the 2016 National Day of Prayer. A similar gathering is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Bryan County Administration Building, 66 Capt. Matthew Freeman Dr.

The events, coordinated by the South Bryan Ministerial Association, are part of the National Day of Prayer that was created in 1952 and is held the first Thursday of May annually.

Titled “A Community Prayer Gathering,” it kicked off with the crowd singing “America the Beautiful.” Scripture verses and prayers were then read by various ministers in support of national, state and local leaders; community concerns; the military; the poor; teachers and students; and families. It concluded with “How Great Thou Art.”

The website for the National Day of Prayer Task Force lists no fewer than 2,750 such events nationwide.