Marchers mark anniversary of Reformation

CLOVIS — A long line of pedestrians carrying banners and singing hymns at twilight Sunday in downtown Clovis were in force to commemorate a special event for this year's Oct. 31, but it wasn't Halloween.

Close to 300 devotees across almost 20 area churches assembled Sunday in Clovis to honor the 500th anniversary today of the Protestant Reformation, marking the occasion with services, songs and a public promenade.

A walk through city center Sunday evening began at First Presbyterian Church with a skit recreating Martin Luther's famous posting of 95 Theses to a castle church door in Wittenberg, Germany, "on the eve of All Saints Day in 1517, protesting abuses in the Church and seeking debate," said the event program.

From there a group of approximately 200 participants heard a proclamation in the Clovis-Carver Public Library parking lot, then walked to another stop at Legacy Life church before concluding with a short service at St. James Episcopal.

The group stretched several blocks accompanied by police escort down a Main Street sidewalk, some carrying church standards or in clerical attire. A student provided rhythm on a snare drum while others sang "Onward Christian Soldiers."

Meanwhile, a smaller crowd of up to 80 people including church members from Portales and Lariat reflected on the anniversary over dinner and discussion at Immanuel Lutheran church in Clovis, said Scott Blazek, a member of the Clovis Christian Ministerial Alliance task force charged with organizing the events.

"This is not just a little quirky thing we're doing — I'm seeing stuff all over the place (for the anniversary)," he said. "But I really think that this was a biggie. Pulling in 16 to 20 churches (locally) was really kind of neat."

Organizers of the event stressed the historical significance of the Reformation, noting in a handout that "even secular culture recognizes many benefits from the Reformation, including education and literacy for all, advancing the sciences, enhancing music, the arts, and worship in the lives of the people...even addressing tensions between Church and State."

"It was equally educational and inspirational," CCMA President Jon Forrest wrote in an email to organizers Monday. "The balance of these two aspects was amazing."