Vance comes together with nation in prayer

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Steve Lin
  • Vance Chapel
Vance Air Force Base, Okla. --  From small towns in rural America to big city U.S.A., Americans come together every year to recognize the value of prayer.
"It is fitting that we have a National Prayer Breakfast," said President George W. Bush at a recent breakfast. "It is the right thing to do, because this is a nation of prayer. I know, from firsthand knowledge, that this is a nation of prayer."
Fifty-three years ago, former President Dwight Eisenhower presided over the first National Prayer Breakfast. It has been a tradition across the nation since and the Vance community has participated faithfully in this event.
Team Vance's National Prayer Breakfast begins at 7:30 a.m.
Feb. 23 at Vance Club. The annual breakfast is an event of remembrance, prayer and fellowship - open for everyone regardless of faith background. While praying for our country, servicemembers also acknowledge the need to pray for those serving overseas, their leadership and the families who are all affected by the circumstances of this world.
This year's guest speaker is J.C. Watts Jr., former United States representative from Oklahoma. Originally from Eufaula, Okla., Mr. Watts had a stellar athletic career as the star quarterback for the University of Oklahoma, leading the Sooners to two consecutive Big Eight and Orange Bowl titles in 1980 and 1981. He went on to play in the Canadian Football League, ultimately earning Most Valuable Player honors in the CFL championship. Upon retiring from professional sports, he turned his sights to ministry and was youth and associate pastor for Sunnylane Baptist Church in Del City, Okla.
In 1994, Mr. Watts was elected to the U.S. Congress as representative for the fourth district of Oklahoma, most notably serving eight years on the Armed Forces Committee.
After retiring from Congress, he continued public service in various capacities, such as co-founding and co-chairing Coalition for AIDS Relief in Africa. Currently, Mr. Watts is an established civic leader, and business consultant and chairman of J.C. Watts Com-panies, where he provides strategic focus and program leadership to the firm's business engagements, alliances and initiatives.
The Vance AFB Chapel invites all to attend this special event and join other Team Vance members in a morning of prayer, reflection and fellowship. Tickets for the breakfast buffet are available for $2 for club members and $3 for non-club members. They can be purchased from any first sergeant, Lauren Roff of Computer Sciences Corporation or at the base chapel. For more information, call the chapel at 7211.