Central Baldwin Chamber to host virtual Prayer Breakfast May 7

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The following article was published in the April 22 edition of The Onlooker with outdated information about the guest speaker. We regret the error and any confusion it may have caused.
ROBERTSDALE — Amid continued concerns over social distancing due to the Coronavirus outbreak, the Central Baldwin Chamber of Commerce has decided to hold a virtual Prayer Breakfast beginning at 7:15 a.m. Thursday, May 7.
This year’s Prayer Breakfast is free and open to the public, follows the theme, “When trials come, don’t wring your hands, bend your knees,” and will feature guest speaker Dr. Mark Foley, former president of the University of Mobile.
Foley, who served as UM president from 1998 until his retirement in 2016, served as staff member of the New Orleans Seminary for 11 years prior to his appointment as UM president in February of 1998.
According to an article published in 1998 by the Baptist Press, Foley began as a development officer with the New Orleans Seminary in 1987; was director of financial aid and student development from 1988-91; director of student relations from 1991-92; and was vice president of student development and institutional research and planning from January 1993 until October 1996.

He was named interim dean of the graduate facility in October 1996 and appointed as executive vice president of the seminary in March of 1997 until his appointment as UM president in February of 1998.
Before coming to the seminary, Foley was a business owner/operator in Wichita Falls, Texas, from 1972-86.
Foley is a native of Wichita Falls, Texas, and a 1972 graduate of Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, with a bachelor of business administration degree. He completed two degrees at New Orleans Seminary, the master of divinity degree in 1989 and the doctor of philosophy degree in 1992, specializing in psychology and counseling. He is a licensed professional counselor in the state of Louisiana and a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors.
According to its website, nationaldayofprayer.org, the National Day of Prayer is a vital part of our heritage. Since the first call to prayer in 1775, when the Continental Congress asked the colonies to pray for wisdom in forming a nation, the call to prayer has continued through our history, including President Abraham Lincoln’s proclamation of a day of “humiliation, fasting, and prayer” in 1863.
In 1952, a joint resolution by Congress, signed by President Harry S Truman, declared an annual, national day of prayer. In 1988, the law was amended and signed by President Ronald Reagan, permanently setting the day as the first Thursday of every May. Each year, the president signs a proclamation, encouraging all Americans to pray on this day. Last year, all 50 state governors plus the governors of several U.S. territories signed similar proclamations.
Presenting sponsor for the May 7 prayer breakfast is Wind Creek Hospitality. Additional sponsors include: Diamond sponsors: Baldwin EMC, Terry Thompson, Riviera Utilities; Gold sponsors: Stastka Insurance, Power Productions; Silver sponsor: Johnson, Slaughter, Driver & Northcutt; Bronze sponsors: Advantage Business Solutions, Franklin Primary Health, First Baptist Church Silverhill, Gruenloh, Hardy & Associates, Citizens’ Bank, Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, Town of Silverhill.
For more information on how to view this year’s Prayer Breakfast, call the Chamber at 251-947-2626, or visit the Central Baldwin Chamber of Commerce Facebook page for updates.