One University of Alabama student had a vision that the SEC would come together for one night, at the same time, across two time zones for something other than football.
That vision is about to see fruition.
Cat Collins, a senior majoring in marketing, had the idea over winter break to organize an SEC-wide worship night that was not necessarily to be affiliated with any ministry. Collins discussed the idea with a couple people, and soon after they had their first meeting at the Chi Omega sorority house with only five people.
A couple months later, meetings at the same spot were packed with people eager to help out with the event.
“Without Walls” is the name of the first annual SEC-wide worship night that will be held Sunday, April 2 in the South Zone of Bryant-Denny Stadium.
“I’m most excited just from seeing it [grow]; the idea that it started out with a group of five people wanting to have it, and now seeing it expanded into 14 campuses,” Collins said. “It just blows my mind that there’s going to be thousands of students at the same time coming to seek the Lord’s face.”
Nobody had to apply or sign up to help. The team has handed out stickers, sold t-shirts, posted fliers in almost every campus building, gone around to sororities and fraternities to make announcements, and have reached out to as many campus ministries as possible.
“Everything has come together with such ease. It wasn’t by our own power that we had to work hard; God provided it all for us,” Collins said.
Collins presented the team’s idea to an individual at Mississippi State University, who said it had also been on his heart to hold a similar event. Through various connections and relationships, word spread and every SEC school wanted in.
At first, they wanted to have it at an easy location that is used to having bands, like a fraternity.
“We wanted it to be in a central location for all students to feel comfortable and welcome – everyone knows Bryant-Denny,” Collins said.
Annie Edgecombe, a sophomore majoring in the multiple abilities program, has been the main student behind the graphic designs and signs posted across campus.
“We have reached a lot of people,” Edgecombe said. “…I think that it’s so interesting that it’s not affiliated with a certain church or ministry, but that we’re all going to come together and glorify one God.”
Edgecome said it was scary at first to reach out to random people in her classes, but that it is worth contributing to such an amazing event.
For Cole Jones, a sophomore majoring in accounting, this event about more than just high attendance and outreach.
It’s exciting to have something on such a big scale, but it’s definitely not the purpose of it,” Jones said. “The purpose is to include as many people as possible, and sometimes it takes a loud shout across the SEC to reach a couple more people.”
Jones said he wants people to know that there are no prerequisites to attend the event and that you do not need to be a part of any social group.
“Anyone can belong here; you don’t even have to be a Christian to come,” Jones said. “Everybody is welcome, as they are at all ministries, but sometimes people can feel like they might have to know someone to go. Hopefully this is something that people can know that everybody is welcome to.”
The night will consist of worship and a speaker to share a few words. The band consists of difference faces represented from almost every campus ministry.
“Whoever comes will come. That’s just been our prayer, that God will bring there who needs to be there,” Jones said. “He uses broken people to do his work that he could do himself if he wanted to.”
