By Beth Sergent

For Mason County Extra Edition

POINT PLEASANT, W.Va. — Organizers of Praise Along the River are hoping for the calming of any storms this Sunday, July 23, when the event returns to Riverfront Park for a rescheduled date, starting at 7 p.m.

Severe weather cut the gathering short earlier this month, with only a small portion of the original program being held before it was postponed, though not canceled.

At this month’s meeting of Point Pleasant City Council, Mayor Brian Billings spoke to council members about rescheduling this year’s Praise Along the River, which has traditionally been held on the Sunday prior to Liberty Fest.

When discussing Praise Along the River, part two, Billings stated John Bonecutter would help with the sound and letters would be sent to churches about the new date and program, as several had originally canceled their Sunday services to join the original event. Groups and speakers unable to participate would also be contacted and given the opportunity to return, Billings said. Council members unanimously supported the idea of the rescheduled date.

The updated lineup is as follows:

Welcome by Mayor Billings;

Mark Mayes, pastor of Point of Faith Church, speaking;

Randy Parsons, soloist, performs;

Nathan Fowler, pastor of Bellemead United Methodist Church, offers prayer;

Generations Quartet performs.

The event program also gives special thanks to Amherst Madison, APG Polytech, The Thrasher Group, Burgess & Niple, City National Bank, Farmers Bank, Peoples Bank, Ohio Valley Bank, Tudors Biscuit World, and Bellemead UMC for providing bottled water.

Mayor Billings, who is on the event committee, previously stated to Mason County Extra Edition, around 200 people attended last year’s Praise Along the River service. He also invited the public to attend the upcoming evening of praise and worship along the river this Sunday, and shared he hopes this special event continues for years to come.

As of Friday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service, a cooler and less humid weekend awaits Mason County, with a high of 85 degrees on Sunday under partly sunny (dry) skies.

Admission to Praise Along the River is free.

© 2023, Mason County Extra Edition, all rights reserved.

Beth Sergent has nearly 20 years of experience in journalism, having worked as both a reporter and editor. She has a BLA in English from Marshall University, and a certificate in Technical Writing from Duke University. She is a lifelong resident of Point Pleasant, in Mason County.

(Editor’s Note on accessibility: Mason County Extra Edition attempts to use accessible fonts and alternative text for photographs, to be inclusive of all readers.)