About Us

Purpose

The Calgary Leadership Prayer Breakfast serves as a quiet way to reaffirm our faith in God and an opportunity to participate in fellowship.

The practice has its precedent in the National and Provincial Capitals where our Leaders have assembled for the past thirty-nine years. Each gathering is a public affirmation of the responsibilities of a nation under God.

Sponsored by concerned government, business, labour and professional leaders, Prayer Breakfasts are held in more than fifty countries, each in its own way contributing to a wider spiritual awakening.

Our website address is www.calgaryprayerbreakfast.com.

Calgary History

Calgary’s “Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast” was founded in 1968 after a group of prominent business men flew to Washington DC to attend the Washington Prayer Breakfast. The Calgary group had heard about the success of the Prayer Breakfast Fellowships throughout the United States and were interested in starting a Prayer Breakfast in Calgary. The original group was comprised of the following men: George Dunlop, Manager of Sun Oil; Kelly Gibson, Head of Operations for BA Gulf Oil; Ernest Manning, Premier of Alberta; Sam Parkinson, Owner of Calgary Motor Products; Bill Little, Chief Accountant of Calgary Motor Products and Allen Todd, Regional Manager of London Life Insurance. They were later joined in 1972 by Art Dickson, MLA and Speaker of the Alberta Legislature, and Bill McDonald, B.Sc, M.Sc, P. Geology, of Summit Oil in 1972. The membership continues to grow.

US History

What is popularly called The Fellowship, the Prayer Breakfast movement was founded by Abraham Vereide in Seattle in the 1930’s. A group of successful business leaders met in early morning sessions to discuss the crime and corruption overwhelming their city – they sought God’s direction in bringing about change. In 1942 Vereide took his idea to Washington and a small group of House members followed by a Senate group began praying together. Vereide believed that the small prayer groups could be used to help establish personal contacts with leaders throughout the world which indeed they did.

Weekly prayer groups still meet on Capitol Hill, including groups of Congressional aides, several groups at the Pentagon and others scattered throughout Washington. They shun publicity, but meet together to hear the voice of God.

Canadian History

The National Prayer Breakfast in Ottawa is the single longest continuous event held annually on Parliament Hill – it began in 1964 and was canceled only once (in 1968) due to a federal election. At the heart of the National Prayer Breakfast is a small group of Parliamentarians from different political parties who meet for breakfast each Wednesday morning while Parliament is in session. Individuals discover ways of being together which cross many religious, social and political boundaries in order to bless the lives of many.

Today Prayer Breakfasts are held in every Provincial Capital and most other major cities across Canada.

Purpose

As in the United States and across Canada, the prayer breakfasts are held in the belief that only God’s guidance and inspiration can provide optimum leadership for the people, our cities, provinces, nation and world.

As well as the annual "Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast," a Calgary Leadership Prayer Breakfast fellowship meets weekly. This unites business, political, neighborhood and faith communities in prayer for the City of Calgary and leadership of Alberta and Canada.

Sponsored by concerned government, business, labour and professional leaders, Prayer Breakfasts are held in more than fifty countries, each in its own way contributing to a wider spiritual awakening.

www.canadaprayerbreakfast.ca