Greater Jacksonville Prayer Breakfast
Following the International Congress on World Evangelism in 1974, I came to the United States on a ministry tour and had the opportunity to attend the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC in January 1975. Once I had established my life and ministry in Jacksonville, I had a desire to see something of the same nature established here. The aspect of the Annual National Prayer Breakfast which appealed to me was the focus on worshipping Jesus as Lord and Savior. Within that context Christians from every denomination could gather in spite of differences in worship, liturgy, church government and even minor theological interpretations.
In 1995 Jacksonville became the home of the Jaguars and entered the realm of having a franchise in the NFL. In 2000 I heard Wayne Weaver announce that Jacksonville was to host Super Bowl XXXIX in February 2005. Hearing Wayne Weaver speak about the impact for the city God planted an idea in my mind. It was to use the coming extravaganza to act as a catalyst for uniting the churches of the city for a major outreach to the community. The first step was to share the idea and as a result a group of enthusiastic pastors and civic leaders agreed that we should “seize the day” and avail ourselves of the opportunity.
2011 Graham Power, South African Founder and President of the GLOBAL DAY OF PRAYER movement.
Beginning with the visit of Pastor John Thomas in 2010, Jacksonville embarked on preparations for the celebration of the GLOBAL DAY OF PRAYER. With the historic and personal ties between Cape Town and Jacksonville, Father Church contacted Graham Power in Cape Town and began the relationship which ultimately resulted in Jacksonville being the host city for the 2011 International Broadcast of the Global Day of Prayer on June 11th. As the speaker at the 2011 GREATER JACKSONVILLE PRAYER BREAKFAST in March, Graham fired the imagination of the 700 participants. Celebrated in the sanctuary of The Potter’s House Christian Fellowship, it was an important connection to the first observation of the Annual Event of 2005.
2010 Speaker – Pastor John Thomas, Cape Town, South Africa.
The visit of Pastor John Thomas reaches back into the history of the ministry of Father Peter Church. Pastor Thomas now serves the church in Cape Town, South Africa, where Father Church served as the first pastor in 1955. His ministry powerfully impacted Jacksonville with a challenge to work and believe for a spiritual awakening based on the word of the prophet Isaiah who proclaimed “This is the fast I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free”. The strength of Pastor Thomas’ message rested in the example which he and his church have set in passionate social ministry among a desperately poor community of more than a million refugees living in squalid conditions on the outskirts of Cape Town – reported to be the most beautiful city in the world. The visit of Pastor Thomas also introduced us to the Cape Town based worldwide ministry of THE GLOBAL DAY OF PRAYER.
2009 Speaker – Dr. Richard Stearns, President of World Vision Inc.
World Vision is active in 190 nations of the world and supports 40,000 volunteers. Dr. Stearns message of compassionate action in the community and in the world of natural disasters brought home the need for ministry for the socially underprivileged in our own community. Basing his message on the words of Jesus, “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me”, he challenged the Church in Jacksonville to be actively engaged in the social issues of our community. The power of his illustrations and his message prepared the Church in Jacksonville for the coming of our next speaker and the consequent involvement in the Global Day of Prayer. A large number of his new book, The Hole in the Gospel, were sold that day. *(Matthew 25:40)
2008 Speaker – Doctor Lloyd John Ogilvie
Previously senior pastor of Hollywood Presbyterian Church in California and chaplain of the United State Senate, Dr. Ogilvie now leads Preaching with Passion Conferences for pastors. He is a frequent speaker at The Cove, the Billy Graham conference center in the mountains of North Carolina. Following the extended illness and passing of his wife, he is now married to Doris, and together they travel throughout the world sharing the message of the One Who is always loyal and faithful. It is said of his ministry “he can refresh your passion and hope for the future”. In addition to his gracious words of hope and courage to the congregation, Dr. Ogilvie’s ministry made a deep and profound impression on the pastors because of his ability to communicate the message of The Word of God with depth and insight and a quiet passion.
2007 Speaker – Tony Evans, Pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, Dallas, Texas.
In addition to his powerful ministry of faith and obedience, Dr. Evans also unveiled “The National Adopt-A-School Initiative”. Following his address to an audience of 1,200 people, Dr. Evans met with a gathering of pastors and Christian leaders to introduce Jacksonville to “The National Adopt-A-School Initiative”. This vision was initially vigorously promoted by the ministry of First Coast Christian Outreach. It has now been embraced by the Duval County Public Schools as a Faith Based Initiative. Following FCCO’s active participation in the Global Day of Prayer on June 11th, 2011, the Initiative is now part of the “90 DAYS OF BLESSING AND BEYOND” social outreach program serving our public schools. The Initiative invites individual churches to become actively involved in assisting our schools.
2006 Speaker – Carla Harris
Born in Jacksonville and graduating Bishop Kenny High School, Carla Harris went on to become an executive in a New York City financial institution. Carla has appeared as a soloist with the New York Opera. In front of an audience of 1,000 people with her vibrant voice and bright personality, she sang and talked about the joy of her Christian faith. Her challenge to her home town was to share the vibrant Christian faith with the whole city. The Children’s Choir of Jacksonville performed and focused our attention on the importance of our children and their education.
2005 Speaker – George Otis, founder and president of “The Sentinel Group”.
Our first City-Wide Prayer Breakfast was hosted by Bishop Vaughn McLaughlin at the Potter’s House Christian Fellowship. Five hundred people from every section of the community gathered to PRAY for the city of Jacksonville during Super Bowl week. We made a statement about our unity as the Body of Christ and our commitment to see Jacksonville transformed by the Gospel message. Another exciting and dramatic consequence of our Super Bowl commitment was the planning and presentation of a “March For Jesus” which drew 10,000 people representing 300 churches in the city.
The New York Times carried a front page picture of the “March For Jesus” banner!
