Keeping with a longtime tradition, Selma’s downtown churches will come together next week for Holy Week services.

Holy Week will begin with Palm Sunday and go through Easter. Each week day next week, a community service will be held at a downtown church.

The week will begin Monday at First Baptist Church of Selma and continue Tuesday at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church, Wednesday at Church Street United Methodist Church, Thursday at Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church and Good Friday at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

Each service starts at noon and concludes with fellowship and a luncheon. Friday’s St. Paul’s service will not have lunch in recognition of Good Friday, a day of fasting.

“The Psalmist said, ‘Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity,’” said Dr. Jerry Light, pastor of First Baptist Church. “No truer words have ever been spoken. As we enter Holy Week here in Selma, I pray that we as a community can find a singular hope in a loving savior that will draw us to him. In Selma, we must find a unity in a singular purpose.

Though we are diverse in our talents, beliefs and aspirations, we can be unified in our purpose.”

Local pastors say they are looking forward to the week of fellowship and coming together during the most important week on the Christian faith.

“I think it is important for different churches to come together for worship because it’s impossible for one group of Christians to witness to the infinite love we have in Christ,” said the Rev. Jack Alvey, rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

“We all have a particular voice that speaks to the truth of God and all of those voices are needed at the table to help us grow in the knowledge and love of God.”