Mother Emanuel hosts several events honoring 2015 mass shooting victims

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Emanuel AME Church has held several commemorative events over the last three days, and will continue to do so over the next week, to honor the nine members of the historic church who were killed in a mass shooting during bible study in 2015.

The Emanuel 9 commemorative events began Wednesday evening with a special bible study.

Thursday, the Susie Jackson and Ethel Lance Senior Citizens’ Virtual Luncheon was held. Jackson and Lance were both integral parts of Mother Emanuel’s Senior Ministry.

The church encouraged everyone to perform a kind act as part of Friday’s Random Acts of Kindness Day, then use #E9LOVE to show off their act of kindness via social media.

Church leaders say sharing love and kindness embodies the spirit of each of the nine members they lost 8 years ago.

Emanuel AME’s Senior Pastor Eric Manning provided details about several commemorative events happening this Saturday and Sunday.

“The Cynthia Hurd Foundation will be doing an activity on June 17^th,” Manning said, “as well as the dedication for the Susie Jackson Memorial Garden. Then, of course, Sunday which is Father’s Day, we have the service of commemoration, but it’s also Father’s Day, so we have a guest preacher who will be coming in.”

Mother Emanuel will have a youth commemorative activity next Tuesday before hosting the Emanuel 9 Humanitarian Awards next Friday.

Manning says each of these events are important as their congregation continues the healing process.

“Regardless of how dark the night is,” he said, “regardless of how long the storm is, regardless of how deep the valley is, regardless of how long the wilderness seems to be, you must always have a hope that says, ‘We will continue to fight the good fight.’”

News 2 will have coverage of this weekend’s commemorative events.