EVERY nook and cranny of Oxford was prayed for at an annual gathering of Christians.

The fourth Love Oxford – an annual event to bring together churches for prayer and celebration – attracted more than 3,000 worshippers to South Park yesterday.

In previous years the gathering was held in Broad Street, but this year the event was moved so as not to disturb students preparing for exams.

Preachers defied heavy rain to deliver lectures on the word of God, while African missionary Heidi Baker spoke emotionally about her work with orphans and abandoned children in Mozambique.

She also talked about Iris Ministries, the homes where she cares for the children she finds. Another speaker, Michael Ramsden, European director of the Oxford-based Zacharias Trust, told the crowds about the impact of the banking crisis and MP’s expenses scandal.

Elsewhere, there was children’s entertainment, a prayer tent and a healing area where anyone with an ailment could visit and be prayed for.

Organiser Anita Cleverly, also church leader at St Aldate’s Church, which co-ordinated the event, said Love Oxford had been a great success.

She said: “The event is all about the churches realising that on their own they are not going to make an impact on the city, but together we can make an impact on and in the city.

“About 45 churches joined us, from all denominations, and primarily we were saying ‘we love you Oxford’.

“We had four directions of prayer, north, south, east and west, for the city’s marginalised families, the universities, medical workers and patients in hospital that God would heal.”

Hamilton Walcott, 46, of Cowley, said it was the third time he had gone to the event. He said: “ It was really good for Christians and like minded people of the same faith coming together to celebrate the lordship of Jesus Christ.

“It was a really good message to the whole of Oxford that there are lots of us who do believe in Jesus Christ.

“We were singing Christian songs and we prayed for the whole of the city of Oxford.”

Christian Hofreiter, 34, of Greater Leys, said it was also the third year running he had gone to the event.

He said: “One of the good things about it is the fact that Christians from so many backgrounds — churches, nationally, racial and ethnic — come together.”

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