To commemorate the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., MorningStar Baptist Church in Foley held a special service on Monday night to remember the impact he has left on America.

The service was led by the Rev. Bennie Richardson, and many other local pastors were also in attendance, singing hymns of power at the podium while also praying for those affected by racial injustice and oppression across the globe.

Foley Mayor Ralph Hellmich also made an appearance on Sunday night to reflect on the legacy of King, along with keynote speaker Percy Jenkins, loan officer at Commonwealth National Bank in Mobile.

“As we all grow up, we know that we're taught certain things, and one of the tenants that I was taught growing up was that it's how you treat everyone else is how people are going to treat you, and how you treat people will be the measure of your life when you get to the end of it,” Hellmich said. “It's something that's always stayed with me because every day of the year that we get up, there's a fork in the road to the choice that we have to make. Make good choices, but always keep what's in here and what's up there in that choice, and you'll be OK.”

The service was one of the many ways Baldwin County celebrated Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy, spearheaded by the Baldwin County Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee, which rotates its events annually between the cities of Daphne, Bay Minette, Foley and Fairhope while supporting voting rights, civil rights, community development, housing and scholarships for students.

The theme for this year’s celebrations, "Bear ye one another's burdens and fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2), reflects the event's longstanding mission to honor King's legacy through unity and advocacy within local communities.