There will be a Community Prayer Gathering on the steps of Town Hall at 6 pm Thursday to pray for the Cornelius Police Department and the community.

Clergy participating include Michelle Hoverson, pastor for compassion ministries at Grace Covenant Church, and Ellison Bowman, pastor of Torrence Chapel AME Zion Church.

The idea for community prayer came from Cornelius Police Officer Patrick Maldarelli, who was featured in the July edition of Cornelius Today. Hoverson said “it was a desire… ‘wouldnt it be nice to have prayers for our police department,’ and the next thing you know we were just organizing as people to come and pray.”

Maldarelli, who is part of the Spanish ministry at Grace Covenant, could not be reached for comment. Hoverson said community leaders like Georgia Krueger, the head of Ada Jenkins Center in Davidson, and Jeff Porter, executive director of Habitat Humanity, will also participate.