The Midway Missionary Baptist Church off Highway 15 in Myrtle Beach invited the public to pray with them Saturday.
Parishioners sang songs and hymns. They also prayed for the nation's troubles.
Inside the church, was a letter posted from Texas Gov. Rick Perry.
In the letter, Perry asked Christians to turn to God for answers to the nation's troubles. The Republican is considering running for president. Critics have complained the prayer event inappropriately mixes religion and politics.
"There is hope for America. It lies in heaven, and we will find it on our knees," the letter said.
Perry held a national prayer event at the Reliant Arena in Houston. Roughly 30,000 people attended Saturday. He delivered a speech that included prayer and Bible verses. He said that a return to Christian ideals can help solve the nation's problems.
"Our heart breaks for America.We see discord at home. We see fear in the marketplace. We see anger in the halls of government," Perry said.
Perry prayed for President Barack Obama and other leaders as well as U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan.
About 1,000 churches across the country are reported to have watched Perry online.
The AP contributed to this report.
