JEFFERSON CITY – Jason Allen, president of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City will be the featured speaker for this year’s National Day of Prayer observance in the Rotunda of the State Capitol at noon on May 5.
Elected Oct. 15, 2012, Allen serves as the fifth president of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and is one of the youngest presidents in all of American higher education. Since coming to Midwestern Seminary, he has led the institution to become one of the largest and fastest growing seminaries in North America.
In addition to his role as President, Dr. Allen serves the institution in the classroom, as a professor for preaching and pastoral ministry. More broadly, he serves the church through his preaching and writing ministries as well. He is the author of two books and regularly posts essays on his website, jasonkallen.com, and hosts a weekly podcast, “Preaching & Preachers,” which can also be found at jasonkallen.com. He and his wife, Karen, are from Mobile, Ala., and have five children: Anne-Marie, Caroline, William, Alden, and Elizabeth.
The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May, inviting people of all faiths to pray for the nation. Since the first call to prayer in 1775, when the Continental Congress asked the colonies to pray for wisdom in forming a nation, the call to prayer has continued through our history, including President Lincoln’s proclamation of a day of “humiliation, fasting, and prayer” in 1863. In 1952, a joint resolution by Congress, signed by President Truman, declared an annual national day of prayer. In 1988, the law was amended and signed by President Ronald Reagan, permanently setting the day as the first Thursday of every May. Each year, the president signs a proclamation, encouraging all Americans to pray on this day. Last year, all 50 governors, including Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, signed similar proclamations.
“The National Day of Prayer stands as a call for us to humbly come before God, seeking His guidance for our leaders and His grace upon us as a people,” said Pathway Editor Don Hinkle, who serves as coordinator of the State Capitol event.