Annual prayer breakfast set for Feb. 11

  • Published
  • By Carl Grusnick
  • 377th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
Kirtland Air Force Base, NM --  First female chief of chaplains to speak at prayer breakfast

Kirtland Air Force Base's annual Prayer Breakfast will be Feb. 11 at 7:30 a.m. at the Mountain View Club.

Admission is $5 and interested attendees should call the Chapel at 846-5691 or e-mail 377abw.hc@kirtland.af.mil to reserve a seat.

President Dwight Eisenhower started the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. in 1953, as a way to bring political, business and civic leaders together in prayer seeking divine guidance and as a reaffirmation of faith.

The Kirtland AFB prayer breakfast began in 1990, and this year's event is sponsored by the installation commander, Col. Robert Maness.

Like the Washington, D.C. prayer breakfast, Kirtland's version brings together Airmen, community leaders and local clergy in fellowship, with some 200 attendees annually.

The coordinator of this year's prayer breakfast, Chaplain (Capt.) Jayme Kendall, said, "Our hope is this hour together proves to be a sacred occasion to inspire many to pray for our nation and its leaders."

Retired Chief, Air Force Chaplain Service, Chaplain (Maj. Gen.) Lorraine Potter will be the keynote speaker. Her message will be "A Plan for Facing Life's Challenges," emphasizing prayer and reflection as a key part of the plan.

In her 31-year career with the Air Force Chaplain Service, Chaplain Potter's military ministry was noteworthy for many "firsts." Chaplain Potter was first female senior chaplain to serve an Air Force wing, as the major command chaplain with USAFE and AETC, and finally as the first female chief of the Air Force Chaplain Service.

Retiring in 2004, Chaplain Potter now calls San Antonio, Texas, home with her husband, retired Army Chaplain (Col.) Robert "Rocky" Saunders.

There, she continues to minister as a board member of Fisher House, a home-away-from-home for the families of seriously ill or injured patients receiving treatment at Lackland AFB, and as a volunteer chaplain at area retirement and nursing homes.