A small Baptist church in southern Beaufort County is taking a stand get to the root of some of the issues troubling the world with one thing in mind: changing the world to reflect a Christian, godly worldview.

Smyrna Free Will Baptist Church in Blounts Creek is hosting a “Change the World” rally on Sunday, in which Pastor Joel Cannon will speak about how the small Beaufort County community can spark change in the world. The rally aligns with a series — “I Believe; Help My Unbelief” — Cannon has been preaching over the past several months, and one that has touched on current events and how they tie into Biblical scripture.

Cannon decided to host the rally because so many people in today’s culture identify the need for change but do not follow through with effective solutions, he said.

Cannon points out that the primary problem in today’s world is godlessness — a heavily weighted secular worldview, rather than one of love, compassion and godliness.

Cannon believes violence between groups and law enforcement across the United States, for example, is a result of a divided people, who have a lack of respect for those who are different, a lack of value for human life and failure to consider God and Christian ideologies, he said.

“The idea is we have to stop talking about change and actually do it,” Cannon said. “How do we change the world? If you change one life, you change the world, and that’s what Christ’s message was all about — about changing the world.”

From Cannon’s point of view, the world needs change from a secular point of view to a Christian point of view, he said. In short, the world needs to get closer to God and the teachings of Jesus Christ, rather than eliminate God from society, according to Cannon.

Cannon said the world is divided: races; religions; political parties; social classes; ideologies — the list goes on and on. All human life matters in the eyes of God, and as humans, division weakens and alienates people from one another, according to Cannon.

Jesus taught his disciples to love one another and set an example for the world, as well as love one’s neighbor as oneself, Cannon said.

“Until we get to a point where we say all human life has value, we will not change,” Cannon said. “We have to change the way we look at and treat each other, and that’s by accepting the Christian value that God has said that all human beings are, in his sight, equal in value. We’ve been divided. We look at each other in divisions. The Bible says, ‘A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand; a house divided against itself cannot stand.’ We have to start somewhere. My motto is, ‘Why not us? Why not here? Why not now?’ We’re in a small area, a small part of the world — small little old Blounts Creek; but every earthquake has its epicenter. It starts somewhere.”

The rally will be held at the church July 24 at 10:45 a.m. Following the service, those in attendance are invited to a cookout to build relationships with community members and fellowship.

Smyrna Free Will Baptist Church is located at 154 Flat Swamp Road in Blounts Creek.