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The Watchmen on the Wall ministry presented a community outreach event Sept. 18 in Franklin that featured preaching and praise and worship through music and dance just outside the Apostolic Faith Church of God General Assembly on Oak Street.

Early on during the free Gospel Palooza event, the sounds of prayer and preaching could be heard in the nearby neighborhood, and later it was the sounds of music, brought forth by Anthony Brown, among other artists.

Evangelist Toronta Branch-Neely, with Watchmen on the Wall, was the sponsor and host of the event. Taking a break from helping serve food in the early afternoon at the outreach, she noted there was also an array of brand new clothes available there for anyone in the community who may be in need of them.

Additionally, the event featured fun children’s games, a bounce house and delicious treats.

Together with a team of organizers, Branch-Neely began planning this year’s edition of the event in February. The first edition happened in 2019.

“We started two years ago on Franklin’s football field, and I think we had maybe about 2,100 

people to show up,” she said. “Every year we’ll do something for the community.”

She mentioned she and her husband live in South Carolina, and they travel to different cities, holding events to encourage and give back to communities.

“But I’m from this area, so this is like a home base for me,” she said. “I put more in this community than I do anywhere else because this is my hometown.”