Hip hop and gospel radio host Cory “Coco Brother” Condrey visited Columbia for a prayer rally Saturday evening. Christian pastors, community leaders and citizens joined Condrey and his wife, Joann, at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center for an evening of music, worship and prayer.
Aside from radio, Condrey is the president of the Condrey Evangelistic Association and the founder of the “STAND Campaign,” which promotes the following of Jesus Christ. Condrey was master of ceremonies and spoke at the event with his wife, singer and minister Joann Rosario Condrey.
The purpose of Condrey’s tour of worship and prayer is to promote Jesus Christ and to advocate for citizens to stand up for their own faith. Condrey said to his audience, “Before we were Christians, we were followers of Christ.”
In teaming up with ministers and people of Columbia, Condrey put forth effort to bring a surge of Christian faith to the community. The rally served as a part of those efforts through music, public speaking and prayer.
“No matter what city official is doing what, no matter what president is doing what, there’s somebody higher. And he’s a king. And that king is soon to return. And his name is Jesus ... We must call America to pray,” Condrey said.
Joann Rosario Condrey both spoke and sang at the rally in support of her husband and his campaign. She spoke to the people in attendance about the need for people to pray.
“He said, ‘If you seek me, then you will find me,’...We have to participate in this process. We need [God] in this state. We need [God] in our nation,” Joann Condrey said. As she finished speaking, she led the audience in singing “hallelujah.”
Cory Condrey invited the mayor of Columbia, Steve Benjamin, to speak at the rally. He briefly touched on both his faith and his love for Columbia and it’s people.
“The reason I do this job ... is because I wanted every single child in this city to know God’s love the way my children do,” Benjamin said.
Mayor Benjamin is a Christian, and values his own faith and prayer in the way he leads the community. Benjamin said to the audience, “Keep praying for this great city.”
After Benjamin spoke, Cory Condrey led the audience in prayer and spoke again about the importance and purpose of his campaign.
“Yes, it’s going to be hard. But there’s a Jesus that will come through every time ... So we prayed for the sick. We prayed for the mayor. I got a chance to speak from the heart. We’re all sinners saved by grace,” Cory Condrey said.
For one evening at the Convention Center, citizens of Columbia, pastors and public figures joined together to embrace both their own faith and their community.