JEFFERSON CITY—The 7th annual Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) Prayer Service for State Government Leaders has been moved from Jan. 5 to Jan. 6 by MBC leaders due to a decision by Gov. Jay Nixon.
Nixon moved the annual Governor’s Prayer Breakfast from its traditional day of Jan. 6 to Jan. 5 because of a scheduling conflict that was “unavoidable,” according to Scott Holste, the governor’s press secretary.
“We hope that with the governor’s schedule for future years that everything can be aligned with other events that are taking place,” Holste said.
The MBC prayer service, which is sponsored by the MBC’s Christian Life Commission, The Pathway, and the host church, Concord Baptist, traditionally has been held on the first day of the legislative session, with the governor’s prayer service the day after. It is not known how this development will impact both events in the future.
The time for the MBC event is also being changed. It typically has begun with a breakfast for lawmakers and their families at 8 a.m. and the program at 9 a.m., but now it will be at 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. respectively.
“I apologize that this change will certainly inconvenience many who will participate in the annual MBC prayer service,” said David Tolliver, MBC executive director who will serve as master of ceremonies. “We are doing all we can to get the word out about the change of date. Many of our Missouri state legislators are encouraged through our prayer and we want to continue that support.”
The Pathway had already sent out invitations for the event based on a representative of the governor indicating that the date was on his calendar, and RSVPs had been coming into the office, according to Pathway Editor Don Hinkle. However, on Dec. 2 the decision was made to not go head-to-head with the governor’s event, which meant a switch to the Jan. 6 date.
Holste called the series of events “regrettable” while declining to indicate when the scheduling conflict materialized.
“For better or for worse, it is what it is,” he said. “We just hope that people can gather for prayer in the morning on one of the two sites.”
Nixon, a Democrat, was at the 2010 MBC event and may attend in the future depending on his schedule, Holste said. Nixon attended the 2006 service while he was serving as Missouri’s attorney general. Former Gov. Matt Blunt, a Republican, attended all four services during his term and once as governor-elect.
The MBC event was founded in 2005 by Hinkle.
“The prayer service has never been about numbers or politics,” Hinkle said. “It has always been about expressing our submissiveness to governmental authorities, praying out of love for our government leaders, and bringing honor and glory to God by urging our government leaders to seek His wisdom and righteousness in their deliberations and decisions. For as long as this prayer service exists, those truths will never change.”
The featured speaker will be Randy Johnson, pastor, Calvary Baptist Church, Republic. Special music will be provided by various Missouri Baptists.
Prayers will be offered by MBC staff on behalf of the governor and the executive branch, the Missouri House of Representatives, the Missouri Senate, and the Missouri Supreme Court.
The public is invited to attend the 8 a.m. prayer service.
ALLEN PALMERI/associate editor
apalmeri@mobaptist.org