How do you celebrate how God is leading in a leader’s life? With a day of prayer and a special weekday concert!
A few days before the North Pacific Union Conference (NPUC) constituency session, Washington Conference held a day of prayer for John Freedman, Washington Conference president, who was nominated and eventually elected to become the new NPUC president.
“Wider responsibility requires a wider prayer circle,” says Randy Maxwell, Renton Church pastor and one of the day of prayer devotional speakers.
The day of prayer service included devotional messages from local pastors, small-group prayers and a weekday concert. Pianist Kelly Mowrer shared a collection of favorite hymns of U.S. presidents and the stories behind the presidents’ hymn selections.
The hymn selection ranged from a Dwight Eisenhower medley of “What a Friend,” “A Mighty Fortress” and “Abide in Me” to Abraham Lincoln’s favorite, “At the Cross,” James Garfield’s favorite, “Guide Me, Oh Thou Great Jehovah,” and Calvin Coolidge’s “Oh Love That Will Not Let Me Go.” The weekday concert concluded with “Amazing Grace,” a favorite of many presidents.
Staff surrounded the Freedmans to pray words of blessing for their family and marriage, for leadership vision and discernment, for faithfulness in following Jesus, and for a baptism of the Holy Spirit.
“We wanted to pray prayers of thanksgiving for God’s blessings throughout the years of the Freedmans' ministry here in western Washington,” says Kevin Wilfley, Washington Conference spiritual growth coordinator. “We see how God’s been preparing John and Malinda for this calling and for this moment.”
Washington Conference staff pray words of blessing and thanksgiving for God's leading in John and Malinda Freedman's (on the right) ministry.
Pianist Kelly Mowrer explains the history behind favorite presidential hymns at a day of prayer concert performance before the election of John Freedman to be NPUC president.
