Read Rev. Dr. Charles Franklin Boyer’ Invocation

The invocation at the inauguration of Gov. Mikie Sherrill was delivered by the Rev. Dr. Charles Franklin Boyer, the pastor of Greater Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church in Trenton, New Jersey, and the founder of Salvation and Social Justice:

Holy and Loving God, the God who has carried generations through danger seen and unseen— we pause at this moment because Your presence makes occasions like this sacred.

You are the God who lifts the lowly, who centers the forgotten, who calls leaders for such a time as this and gives them hearts to serve, courage to act, and compassion deep enough to hold the suffering of the people.

Today we gather at the threshold of a new chapter. And we ask You to cover Governor Mike Sherrill with Your wisdom, Your strength, and Your grace.

Grant her the discernment of Abigail, a woman who could see danger before it arrived and had the wisdom to speak peace into brewing conflict.

Give her the courage of Esther, who stepped into hard places, risked comfort for conviction, and stood so her people might live.

Grant her the steadfast love of Ruth, whose loyalty knit communities together and whose tenderness revealed the wideness of Your mercy.

Endow her with the fire of Deborah, the prophet who led not from pride but from purpose, who rose when her people needed clarity and courage.

Crown her with the dignity of Vashti, who stood firm in her God‑given worth and refused every form of objectivity and dehumanization.

And may she seek wisdom like the Queen of Sheba, always willing to travel beyond the familiar to hear truth, pursue understanding, and embrace insight wherever You reveal it.

Holy God, bless her family— strengthen their bond, protect their peace, and surround their home with love that steadies and restores.

And God, shape her leadership by Your heart for the least of these. May she measure success not by applause, but by how the vulnerable are lifted, how the hungry are fed, how the oppressed taste freedom, and how justice becomes not an aspiration but a lived reality.

God bless her Lieutenant Governor Dale Caldwell.

May the voice of his father Gil speak to him.

And may the spirit of their father, Morris Brown, guide him.

Lord bless everyone under Gov. Sherrill’s charge.

May her administration lead with integrity—choosing righteousness over convenience, truth over comfort, and compassion over calculation.

May her administration be marked by transparency, accountability, and a deep commitment to the common good.

May her administration create tables long enough for every voice to be heard and safe paths where every community can flourish.

Give her shoulders strong enough for the weight of responsibility, and give her a spirit tender enough to remain human in the midst of great demands. When the nights are long, grant her rest. When the decisions are heavy, grant her clarity. When the road is rough, grant her resilience. And when the work feels impossible, remind her that Your grace is sufficient.

Show her what our ancestors meant when we sung:

God of our weary years
God of our silent tears
Thou who has brought us thus far on the way
Thou who has by thy might
led us into the light
lead us forever in thy path we pray…
This is our prayer,
for this Governor …in the name that is above every name…
and let the whole state say Amen.