Baylor, Waco Leaders Gather in Prayer for New School Year

Contact: Kelly Craine, 254-297-9065
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Baylor University again welcomed education, faith, city and civic leaders to campus for the fall Community Prayer Breakfast, an annual gathering designed to provide an opportunity for likeminded individuals from across the community to connect in prayer for students, families and one another as the new academic year begins.

Held in the Paul and Katy Piper Great Hall at Baylor’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary, the breakfast reflects Baylor’s Christian mission and its longstanding commitment to its hometown of Waco. Administrators from Baylor, MCC and TSTC were joined by elected officials and leaders from the cities of Waco and Woodway, faith leaders from across the area and principals, teachers and superintendents from several local school districts.

“It is special to have so many civic, educational and faith leaders in the same room, with united hearts, to fellowship and petition the throne of grace in agreement for our city and the year ahead,” said Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D. “God has given us influence in our different spheres, but together, we form the body of Christ. This level of unity and joint cooperation is unique, and we do not take it for granted.”

After President Livingstone welcomed invited guests, Doug McNamee, Baylor’s vice president and director of intercollegiate athletics, shared the opening scripture. Then, leaders and students offered prayers for families, teachers and the many people and institutions that shape the educational experience across Waco for students of all ages. Sara Barton, D.Min., director for pastoral care and associate chaplain at Baylor, delivered the devotional, and faculty and staff from the Dunn Center for Christian Music Studies in Baylor’s School of Music invited everyone to sing.

The breakfast concluded with remarks from the Rev. Charley Ramsey, Ph.D., University Chaplain and Dean of Spiritual Life at Baylor.

“It is a beautiful thing when friends come together to pray,” Ramsey said. “At Baylor we begin the year in prayer, recognizing our dependence upon the Lord and expressing our gratitude for His manifold blessings. It is a joy and source of encouragement to look across the room and see pastors, school leaders and civic officials gathering in fellowship. These relationships are strong, and such unity is encouraging to see.”

The Community Prayer Breakfast continues a tradition President Livingstone began in 2018 – one year into her tenure as Baylor’s 15th president – when pastors and leaders throughout Waco and Central Texas first gathered to pray collectively for the upcoming school year. The annual event has been so well received that a second prayer breakfast, sometimes hosted as a luncheon, is held in the spring.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Learn more about Baylor University at www.baylor.edu.