At the First Baptist Church on the corner of Wilmington and Morgan in downtown Raleigh, Governor-Elect Bev Perdue came to pray.
"I think it's just important for the people of North Carolina to know that this is going to be an administration that's based on ethics, sunshine and trying to do the right thing day-in and day-out and it starts in my book with faith," Perdue said.
Hundreds of people packed into the church for Perdue's Inaugural Prayer service, the first of several inaugural events that will happen in the capital this weekend.
The hour-long service featured pastors from various congregations and churches. Each pastor prayed Perdue would govern the state with wisdom, while the choir sang songs with lyrics of "Somebody prayed for me."
"We thank You for new faces brought to power for such a time as this," one pastor prayed, "new faces of all races and gender that was once believed impossible and improbable."
People came from all over the state to be a part of the service. Military service members sat in the audience dressed in their full colors in the middle of the pews, while rows were reserved for some members of the North Carolina Council of State. Pastor Jerry Cannon drove from his church in Charlotte to be a part of the service Friday.
"It was very inspiring," the pastor of C.N. Jenkins Memorial Presbyterian Church said. "I'm looking forward to praying daily as the affirmation called us to pray for our leadership and for Governor-Elect Perdue."
In addition to crossing religious lines, Friday's service also crossed party lines. Dressed with a beige sports coat and a crisply tied bow tie, college Republican Ches McDowell sat enjoying the service. He is the chairman for the North Carolina State Young Republicans, but Friday he said his state was more important than his party.
"I'm a republican second, a North Carolinian first," McDowell said. "I'd rather our state be good and under the guidance of God than for my people to be in charge."
As a final show of unity, after the service McDowell got a picture with Governor-Elect Perdue just before she got in a black car to drive on to other inaugural events and, eventually, the governorship.