Word of Hope World Outreach Church of New Iberia is participating in March for Jesus on Saturday, May 18.

Residents will be able to line up at Torrido Village, located at 910 E. Main St. in New Iberia beginning at 9 a.m.

The March will start at 10 a.m, where they will walk the streets of the Teche, going down Main Street, making a right on Bridge Street, walking across the bridge where they will walk to the red light of Marie and Duperier Avenue and end at City Park, where they will have a rally following the march.

At the rally, faith leaders and locals will come together and pray for New Iberia, the nation, and for anyone who needs it. Fellowship and food will follow.

The purpose of the March for Jesus is to bring the community together for a day of love and support, according to Word of Hope World Outreach Church Rev. Zach Mitchell. He and his church are working to better the community of New Iberia with the march.

“The march is lifting up the name of Jesus,” Mitchell said. “It doesn’t focus on any one denomination or any church, it’s celebrating the Lordship of Jesus Christ and its focusing the churches together in unity.”

Mitchell and leaders of the March recommend that you wear comfortable clothing and shoes during the march.

The March for Jesus is both a national and international day of praise. In 1989, Tom and Theresa Pelton of Austin, TX, attended a worship leaders conference in California where Graham Kendrick presented the March vision, according to their website.

Tom Theresa came home and shared the vision with a group of pastors. After leading some praise marches around Austin high schools, he organized the first citywide march, which took place in May of 1990 after eight weeks of preparation. About 1,500 believers marched.

In Louisiana, New Iberia is the lone city that participates in the March for Jesus. They have been participating since the 90s. Mitchell said he believes that in times like this, it’s important, more than ever, to come together with faith with the March for Jesus.

“What we believe and what we understand is that the Lord is still in control and in the faith community like New iberia we always lean on our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ,” Mitchell said. “And then, on one another to serve one another.”