Bay Minette to host Day of Prayer observances

By John Underwood / john@gulfcoastmedia.com
Posted 5/1/19

BAY MINETTE, Alabama — The City of Bay Minette will observe the National Day of Prayer on Thursday, May 2 with a pair of programs sponsored by the Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast Group and the North …

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Bay Minette to host Day of Prayer observances

Posted

BAY MINETTE, Alabama — The City of Bay Minette will observe the National Day of Prayer on Thursday, May 2 with a pair of programs sponsored by the Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast Group and the North Baldwin Ministerial Association.

The Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast Group will host an observance from 8 to 9 a.m. in the council chambers at Bay Minette City Hall, 301 D’Olive St. Light breakfast will be served.

Guest speakers for the 8 a.m. event will be Baldwin County District Attorney Robert Wilters and the Rev. Jay Cooper, pastor of the First United Methodist Church, Bay Minette.

Wilters, a lifelong resident of Baldwin County, grew up in Bay Minette and graduated from Baldwin County High School.

He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Alabama, then went on to graduate from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University.

He served as a law professional for over 35 years, and served as a judge in Baldwin County for over 22 years. He began his career in law as an attorney in a private law practice in 1980 before moving on to serve as a special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigations from 1982 to 1986.

In September 1986, he began serving as chief assistant district attorney for Baldwin County until Gov. Guy Hunt appointed him District Court judge in January 1993. During his tenure as District Court judge, Wilters started the first Drug Court for District Court.

In January 1995, Wilters was elected to a full term in District Court. In January 1999, he was elected to Circuit Court. He was elected as Presiding Circuit Court Judge in January 2013 until his retirement in June of 2015.

He was elected as Baldwin County’s District Attorney in 2016, taking the oath of office in January of 2017.

Wilters and his wife, Amelia Cox Wilters, have two children and numerous grandchildren.

At noon, a time of prayer and reflection will be held at the Baldwin County Courthouse Gazebo beginning at noon, sponsored by the North Baldwin Ministerial Association.

Both observances will follow this year’s theme “Love One Another,” based on John 13:34, “Love one another. Just as I have loved you.”

Both events are free and open to the public. For more information, call 251-580-1619.

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.