It will be 10 years ago next Sunday that the United States stood in shock after the events of Sept. 11, 2001.

The World Trade Center collapsed amid a terrorist attack that also struck the Pentagon and had another target missed when a plane was downed in Pennsylvania.

The years since have produced a much different climate in the United States. Despite nearly a decade of war and a negatively impacted economy, the country remains free.

It is that freedom, and the sacrifice of the men and women of the military and first responder services that the Black Belt Christian Ministerial Association will celebrate at 6 p.m. next Sunday.

The group’s quarterly community service will seek to celebrate the sacrifices that have made America free while also attempting to remember the sacrifices that have given men the opportunity to be free.

“It’s going to be a service of patriotism and praise,” BBCMA president Dr. Art Luckie said. “Obviously on the 10th anniversary of 9-11, we are going to be remembering the fallen and recognizing our leaders and expressing our praise and worship to our living God.

“It’s a memorable occasion as we invite everyone to join us at 6 p.m. at the Demopolis High School gym for a time of joining together, celebrating our faith as well as expressing our faith in God.”

The service will honor active and retired military personnel, national guard, EMTs, police and firefighters.

“In the midst of tragedy and heartache, 9-11 reminded us that we really are one nation under God and we are dependent upon God and sustained by God,” Luckie, who is the minister at First United Methodist Church in Demopolis, said.

“This service is a celebration of that.”

The guest speaker for the evening will be Mihai Micula, who pastors the Bethel Baptist Church in Satu Mare, a town in northwest Romania near the Hungarian border.

“He’s a friend of mine,” Fairhaven Baptist church pastor Allen Atkins said of Micula.“Fairhaven has partnered with the church over there in Romania. He’s very passionate about the Lord and about seeing people come to know Christ. One of the reasons he was going to be on the program originally was that we wanted somebody to speak to us about what it is like to live under communism and how we don’t need to take our freedom for granted.”

Micula will be joined by his wife, Dana, daughters Julia and Damaris and son, Michael, for the occasion.