Community Prayer Breakfast History
The Mission of the Community Prayer Breakfast:
To provide an opportunity for people of faith to come together for prayer, meditation, and inspiration; to express their personal faith, their common purpose, their commitment to God; and to seek God’s guidance and strength with the desire to deepen the spiritual life and moral fiber of the people in our community.
The “Greater Battle Creek Community Prayer Breakfast” was established in 1982 and modeled after the National Prayer Breakfast. The name was later changed to the “Community Prayer Breakfast” in order to reach out to the larger community.
The Community Prayer Breakfast is a reaffirmation that people of goodwill, standing together for a common purpose, can transcend racial, geographical or cultural differences and create new opportunities for community progress.
The Prayer Breakfast program consists of community participants offering prayers for fellowship and community. Scripture readings from the Old and New Testament are delivered. A testimonial of faith is conveyed in the This I Believe address. The highlight of the program is the inspirational message from the Keynote Speaker.
The Prayer Breakfast annually draws more than 1,000 people, including 200 youth who attend free, thanks to generous donors.
Past Speakers
1982 Tony Campolo – Eastern College
1983 Paul Hellyer, Canadian Business Leader
1984 Albert H. Quie – Former MN Congressman, Governor
1985 Lem Barney – Detroit Lions
1986 Rick Little – Quest, Inc.
1987 Marta Gabre – Tsadick – Project Mercy
1988 Gen. John W. Vessey – Retired
1989 Dr. Blenda J. Wilson, Chancellor, UM
1990 Al McDonald, Chairman Avenir Group, Inc.
1991 Tony Campolo, Eastern College, St. Davids, PA
1992 Chuck Colson, Prison Fellowship
1993 Lou Holtz, Notre Dame Football Coach
1994 John Haggai, Haggai Institute
1995 Joni Eareckson Tada – Disabilities advocate
1996 Wintley Phipps – Trinidadian-American singer, and founder of the U.S. Dream Academy
1997 C. Everett Koop – 13th Surgeon General of the United States
1998 Dr. Benjamin Carson – former director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins University
1999 Michael Medved – nationally syndicated radio talk show host, author, columnist
2000 David Egner – philanthropist
2001 Drs. Cedric and June Dempsey – former NCAA Executive Director and former Dean at The University of Arizona
2002 Ambassador Robert A. Seiple – former Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom
2003 Dr. Laura Schlessinger – talk radio host, columnist, author
2004 Dave Dravecky – cancer survivor, former pro baseball player
2005 Cal Thomas – Journalist
2006 Brian and Mel Birdwell – 9/11 Pentagon terrorist attack survivor
2007 Jackie Joyner-Kersee – Olympic Gold medalist, philanthropist
2008 Stephen Arterburn – New Life Ministries
2009 Michael Franzese – Former Mob Boss, anti-crime crusader
2010 Mark Lowry – Singer, songwriter and comedian
2011 Father Dave Dwyer, CSP -Director of Busted Halo ministry
2012 Immaculée Ilibagiza – Rwandan genocide survivor & speaker on the power of peace, faith and forgiveness.
2013 Keni Thomas – retired U.S. Army Ranger in the “Black Hawk Down” Mission in Mogadishu, Somalia. Country Music songwriter and performer
2014 Donna Richardson – Renowned international lifestyle & fitness expert
2015 Bob Goff – New York Times best seller author and founder of Restore International
2016 James A. Joseph – Former Ambassador to South Africa
2017 Nadia Lopez – award-winning founder and principal of Matt Hall Bridges Academy in Brooklyn, NY
2018 Charles Howard – author and chaplain at the University of Pennsylvania
2019 Austin Hatch – former UM Basketball player, survivor of 2 plane crashes
2020 Canceled due to COVID-19
2021 Canceled due to COVID-19
2022 Anthony Evans – Christian Singer, Songwriter, Worship Leader, and Author
2023 Tauren Wells – Contemporary Christian Recording Artist, Multi-Instrumentalist and Songwriter
Highlights of 2022
Photos from previous years.
The Original Prayer Breakfast Logo
