New Vineyard Church of South Jackson held its annual Pink Out Service Sunday, Oct. 20, aiming to increase awareness about breast cancer during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The 10 a.m. service featured Rev. Audrey Lynne Hall, a 14-year breast cancer survivor, who delivered an inspirational message centered on hope and resilience. Hall is pastor of Holy Temple Missionary Baptist Church in West Jackson, where she has served for 18 years.
Her sermon stemmed from Hebrews 10:32-39 with emphasis on verse 39: "But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved." She titled her sermon, "They're Not Like Us."
Pastor Hall shared her journey with the disease, emphasizing the importance of remaining confident and having faith in God. "Cancer cannot live in my body," she said was an affirmation she would always speak over her life. Even when she received the "blow" of the diagnosis, she used her faith to push through the ordeal, constantly repeating the same affirmation.
"One thing that I learned when going through cancer treatment, 14 years ago, I had to say to myself: 'I shall live and not die and declare the works of the Lord," Pastor Hall stressed. "You cannot let your body 'shrink' to the disease that is in it. I'm a 14-year cancer survivor!"
At that point, a congregation member yelled, "To God be the Glory!" "That's right, sister: To God be the Glory!" Hall responded.
She explained how her spiritual leaders supported her through her treatment.
"When caught early, breast cancer is no longer a death sentence," Hall has reemphasized in earlier reports.
The event attracted a packed sanctuary and numerous Facebook Live watchers, reinforcing New Vineyard's and the community's commitment to raising awareness and supporting those affected by breast cancer. As awareness initiatives continue, the hope is that more lives can be saved through early detection and education.
In his closing remarks, Pastor and Founder Gregory Divinity of New Vineyard Church applauded Pastor Hall for her inspirational message. He also stated, "What I have found out the way you can be a part of us is that you trust in whom we trust in." That comment was his segway to his invitation to Christian discipleship in which one new member joined the New Vineyard Body of Christ.
New Vineyard (according to its website) "is a very caring congregation that strongly believes in reaching out beyond themselves to spread and apply the Gospel of Jesus Christ." Pastor Divinity and his wife Rev. Debra Divinity have also been blessed to start and operate a successful school called, New Vineyard Academy.
The church will continue its breast cancer awareness activities Saturday, Oct. 26, with a Women's Pinktober Brunch at 10 a.m. Everyone is asked to wear pink.
According to the American Cancer Society, about 1 in 8 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. However, recent statistics indicate a decline in breast cancer mortality rates, which have fallen by approximately 40% since the 1980s, largely due to improved detection and treatment methods.
For more information on breast cancer statistics, visit the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org