Saturday’s march in downtown Portland culminated with a band from Sacramento leading a worship concert, prayer, and baptisms

Leah Anaya
For Clark County Today

This Saturday (July 8), thousands flocked to Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland for another march. This one, however, was quite different. The topic of the gathering? Jesus.

A group called United Revival has been traveling the nation to bring Christians (no specific denomination) together in one massive event dubbed the Jesus March. Saturday’s march culminated with a band from Sacramento leading a worship concert, prayer, and baptisms. “United Revival Ministries works with churches and ministries across the United States to help revive the body of Christ and boldly proclaim the Gospel,” its website reads. The group held a similar event in Seattle last month, with over 2,000 people participating.

Portland’s event saw approximately 4,500 people at the height of the day. Most of the attendees were young adults and older, but there were some families with small children in attendance as well. Hundreds of signs were being held around the crowd, reading things like, “Jesus is King,” “Jesus can heal what you’re hiding,” “Jesus loves you,” and “God’s kids aren’t for sale,” a nod to the recently released box office hit “Sound of Freedom,” which depicts the hard truth of the $150 billion human trafficking and slavery industry that is alive and well, largely in the United States, and affects millions of women and children.

While those present sought to pray and worship, there was a small faction of about 50 protesters, some from the Satanic Temple of Salem and some identifying as Antifa. Clark County resident Mike Kersey was there when the protesters showed up and spoke with Clark County Today about what happened. 

“A few of the Antifa-types,” Kersey said, “tried to get around and in front of all of us, but they were pretty disorganized and honestly, those who were there with good intentions completely outnumbered them. I would say there were 3,000 people present at that time, to their 40-50.”

About 100 people, all volunteers, served as private security at the square. Portland Police Bureau was on scene for a portion of the time, and an officer informed arriving protesters that they would be arrested should they turn their protests into violence. A Park Ranger assigned to the Pioneer Courthouse Square was at the square for the entirety of the event and also assisted with security. 

Kersey described an incident where an attendee, known locally as the Black Conservative Preacher, was harassed by protesters. The protesters are no strangers to the independent journalism of the Black Conservative Preacher, who has followed Antifa and its supporters for years and was often in the middle of protests and marches filming violent and criminal acts during the riots of 2020. Two of the protesters approached the Preacher and were verbally attacking him and making threats. Kersey said that the Preacher, though outnumbered, would have obviously been able to win a fight against both would-be assailants, and said something to that effect. Both protesters backed off. Kersey said that was the only potentially violent incident he witnessed the entire four hours he was present, and the rest of the event was peaceful and joyful. He said, “Antifa left pretty quickly – Jesus wins!”

“We are not here to hate on Antifa,” said one of United Revival Ministry’s speakers prior to the start of the march. “We are not here to hate on the laws of this city. We’re not even here to hate on the government. See, it’s not a battle against them. [The Bible] says it’s a battle against the spirit that’s been reigning over Portland. And today, as we march, we say, ‘Devil, no more! No more. They say Portland can’t be saved; they say Portland can’t be touched. But as we march, we are releasing the sound of joy, and the sound of salvation. Portland, there is hope, and His name is Jesus!”

Before the march actually began, the group explained to the crowd the importance of following the rules and laws of the city of Portland. One member was holding a black “Jesus is King” flag, which would be held for the entirety of the march and would mark the front of the group. “We want to make sure we are following the laws and keeping everybody safe. Please stay on the sidewalks,” the speaker said, “it’s very important that we are not blocking the roads.”

This is in stark contrast to the riots of 2020 and beyond, where full city blocks at a time would be shut down due to protesters, and most people steered clear of the entire downtown area to avoid violence, looting, fires, attacks on police and bystanders, assaults, and other crimes connected to “Black Lives Matter,” “Pride” groups, and Antifa.

“We have come here today,” said another speaker during the worship concert, “to speak life over this city, to speak hope over this city, to speak into the cracks and crevices of darkness in this city and proclaim Light of the world to this city, which is Jesus Christ. Jesus says, ‘I am the Light…’ Whatever your darkness is today – the darkness of depression, the darkness of anxiety, the darkness of Portland – we are going to pray and prophecy light into that darkness. We are going to pray and prophecy hope and peace into that despair. In Jesus’ Name!”

Rene Cooper, who teaches at multiple private facilities around Clark County, was also in attendance. She told Clark County Today that she appreciated that the event was peaceful and positive. “It was so necessary,” she said. “Portland needs more Jesus!”

A United Revival Ministry speaker prayed for the city of Portland and surrounding area, which he said has been “plagued by darkness, by division, and by hatred.” The prayer asked for the light and peace of Jesus. Another man prayed, saying, “Lord, I ask for more laborers. I pray that You would stir up the hearts of Your people. That You would stir up the love, that we may have compassion for this city and the broken-hearted. That we would be sent out, that we would go out into the world and preach the Gospel. Send out Your laborers, God. Here we are. Send us out in Jesus’ name.”

The ministry offers evangelical training one hour prior to the beginning of each march it hosts. Its website states, “The vision behind the march is to gather with believers in every city throughout the USA to proclaim the name of Jesus and make Him known. As we stand together in His name, we are believing for God to change a generation through a bold proclamation of the victory of Jesus Christ. We want to see the body of Christ equipped to share the Gospel, walking in Unity, and burning for Jesus with all their heart.”

The next tentative dates and locations for the nation-wide Jesus March are August 26 in Denver, Colorado; October 21 in San Francisco, California; and November 18 in Sacramento, California.