Lipscomb hosts 39th annual Tennessee Prayer Breakfast April 11
Kim Chaudoin |
The Citizens Committee will host the 39th annual Tennessee Prayer Breakfast April 11 on the campus of Lipscomb University. Governor Bill Haslam and his wife, Crissy, are the keynote speakers. Dove Award winner Nicole C. Mullen and the Nashville Choir will also be featured at the breakfast.
“We hope that people from across Tennessee will come together to share a moment of vision and add their voices in prayer for our state, our local communities and the governmental officials who lead them as they guide our state through very challenging times,” said Marlene Tidwell, chair of the Tennessee Prayer Breakfast Citizens’ Committee.
The breakfast will take place from 7-8:30 a.m. in Allen Arena, located on the Lipscomb campus. Doors open at 6:30 a.m. Tickets are $35 each or $350 for a table of 10 and may be purchased at www.tennesseeprayerbreakfast.org.
Bill Haslam was born and raised in Knoxville, Tenn., and attended Emory University in 1976. After graduating with a degree in history, he moved back to Knoxville with his wife to work "for a couple of years" managing his family's small chain of gas stations. By the time Haslam left the Pilot Corporation years later, he had grown the company from 800 employees to more than 14,000 employees in 39 states. He sustained the company's growth by allocating resources wisely, managing the business conservatively, working hard to increase sales and satisfy customers. In 2003, he ran successfully for Mayor of Knoxville. On Nov. 2, 2010, Haslam was elected Tennessee’s governor with 65 percent of the vote, winning 90 of 95 counties and securing the largest victory of any non-incumbent gubernatorial candidate in our state's history.
As First Lady of Tennessee, Crissy Haslam has introduced a three-part initiative that focuses on the interplay between family engagement and literacy improvement in Tennessee. She has been traveling the state to stress the importance of parents as first teachers, parents as education partners, and also to raise awareness for the exponential value of reading at grade level by the third grade. Born in Houston, Texas, Haslam moved with her family to Memphis, when she was eight-years-old. She graduated from Emory University in 1980 with a double major in finance and marketing in the College of Business. Crissy married Bill Haslam and moved to Knoxville in 1981. While working as the assistant director of admissions for the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, she received a Master of Science degree in education in the college student personnel program. She has served on numerous civic and community boards, and currently serves as chair of the Tennessee Executive Residence Foundation and Commission.
Few artists in any genre of music possess a more diverse resume than Nicole C. Mullen. From her early days as a background vocalist/dancer/choreographer to writing and recording such classic hits as “Redeemer” to mentoring young women through her Baby Girls Club, Mullen’s creativity and compassion have fueled a life of ministry that has had global impact.
Whether working to help free the Trokosi slaves in Ghana or penning signature songs for other artists—such as the Jaci Velasquez hit “On My Knees”—Mullen has long channeled her considerable energy into not just sharing the gospel, but living it. Her passion for God has never burned brighter than on “Captivated,” a new collection of worship songs produced by Ed Cash. Mullen has been recognized with seven Gospel Music Association Dove Awards, including two Female Vocalist of the Year honors, Song of Year in 2001 for “Redeemer,” Songwriter of the Year and the 2005 Urban Album of the Year for “Everyday People.” She has toured all over the globe, becoming a highly sought after speaker and singer, and has frequently graced the stage at Women of Faith events.
The Tennessee Prayer Breakfast is presented annually by The Citizens’ Committee, which is a volunteer group of Christian business leaders, elected officials, and ministry leaders. Past participants have included Phil Vischer, Richard Stearns, Michael W. Smith, Tom Landry, Charles Colson, Elizabeth Dole, Charles Swindoll, Franklin Graham, Anne Graham Lotz, and Scott Hamilton. Guest performers have included Mandisa, Melinda Doolittle, Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Allison Krauss, CeCe Winans, Larnelle Harris, Josh Turner, the Fisk Jubilee Singers, the Gaither Vocal Band and the Nashville Choir.
For more information, visit www.tennesseeprayerbreakfast.org or e-mail tnprayerbreakfast [at] gmail.com.