The Mayoral Prayer Breakfast is an event held each year in conjunction with the National Day of Prayer (1st Thursday in May). The Mayoral Prayer Breakfast Committee, a group of Christian ministers, businessmen, and military person, meet regularly throughout the year to plan this event and pray for our leaders. They also work together with numerous local sponsors to host the event during which prayers are offered for our communities’ leader and those in authority as well as for our state, our nation, and the world.
This annual event includes breakfast, a time of prayer for our community leaders, and a keynote speaker who shares how they have overcome hardship and how prayer is important to their life.
The Coulee Region Prayer Consortium, made up of people of all faith traditions, sponsored the 21th annual Mayoral Prayer Breakfast on May 4 at the Radisson Center, La Crosse, Wisconsin.
The 2017 Mayoral Prayer Breakfast Guest Speaker was Chaplain (Major General) Cecil R. Richardson. Mr. Richardson was the Chief of Chaplains, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. As a member of the special staff of the Chief of Staff, he established guidance and provided advice on all matters pertaining to the religious and moral welfare of Air Force personnel. He was responsible for establishing an effective chaplain program to meet the religious needs of all members of the Air Force and their dependents.
As Chief of Chaplains, he was the senior pastor for more than 800,000 active-duty, Guard, Reserve, and civilian forces serving in the United States and overseas. He led an Air Force Chaplain Corps of approximately 2,200 chaplains and chaplain assistants from the active and Air Reserve components. As Chairman of the Armed Forces Chaplains Board, he advised the Secretary of Defense and Joint Chiefs of Staff on religious, ethical and quality-of-life concerns.
Chaplain Richardson began his career as an enlisted intercept operator and Russian interpreter. He has served two assignments as a senior Protestant chaplain and two as a wing chaplain. He has also served as the chaplain assignments officer and a major command division chief. His senior leadership positions include Executive Director, Armed Forces Chaplain Board; Command Chaplain for U.S. Central Command and Air Combat Command; and Commandant, U.S. Air Force Chaplains Corps College.
2017 Keynote Speech by Chaplain (Major General) Cecil R. Richardson