THE NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST IN CANADA
The National Prayer Breakfast is an annual ecumenical event, where men and women from differing backgrounds gather together with our elected public officials to pray in the spirit of Jesus Christ for Canada. The Prayer Breakfast has been faithfully attended since 1964. In fact, except for 1968 when an federal election caused the Breakfast to be canceled, the National Prayer Breakfast is the single longest continuous event held annually on Parliament Hill. The first National Prayer Breakfast was held in Ottawa in June of 1964.
The Prayer Breakfast had its beginning when Members of Parliament began to meet together in a non-political private breakfast to discuss their faith and issues that were affecting their lives. This group gathered under the leadership of the Hon. Walter Dinsdale (Manitoba) and Mr. Robert Thompson (Alberta).
Over the next few years it became apparent that, in order for this ministry to continue to grow, full time leadership was required. Kent and Kay Hotaling moved from Seattle Washington to Canada in 1968 to further encourage leaders to meet regularly. As a result of this effort, groups began to meet in many cities and Provincial capitals and consequently annual breakfasts began in most Canadian provinces.
The Hotalings moved back to the United States in 1972 and Bill and Sandra Bussiere were asked by a group of men to consider leaving his business in Montreal in order to provide leadership to the Prayer Breakfast movement. Bill, his wife Sandra and their three daughters moved to Ottawa and Bill continued being available to Members of Parliament in Ottawa and to other leaders from across Canada.
From the outset there have always been two unique aspects to the Prayer Breakfast. The first was that it should be a lay person who carries out the work. It was felt that lay people could better relate to leaders.
The other aspect was (especially around politicians) that everything should be done in a low-keyed, behind the scenes manner. The main objective was to build relationships and this can be done most successfully in a personal, quiet, confidential way.
From the outset there were a number of conditions that were agreed upon. The first was that there would be no official organization; no President, Secretary or Treasurer and no official name and no Board of Directors, nothing to join or belong to, except the self imposed accountability to a few friends that shared the vision of building the body of Christ. However, to enable individuals to support this work financially, a non-profit charitable foundation was formed. The Canadian Fellowship Foundation (CFF) is a federally chartered charitable foundation. The foundation serves no other purpose than to act as a vehicle to fund the activities of the Prayer Breakfast. Any additional assistance is provided on a volunteer basis.
It was agreed that the work done on Parliament Hill would be kept small and simple. The focus was to be solely on Jesus Christ and not on an organization. There was always a concern that when you belong to an “organization” you could eventually begin to identify with the organization and lose the focus on the reason you are there in the first place.
The only agenda was caring for people!
Throughout the years the leadership has changed. In 1994 Bill Bussiere passed away and Jim Lee assumed the leadership of the Prayer Breakfast on a part time basis. Bill's wife Sandra also worked with Jim and Members of Parliament continued meeting weekly and holding the annual National Prayer Breakfasts.
In 2004 Jack Murta, a former chairman of the weekly Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast and a Member of Parliament from 1970-1988, felt called by God to consider working with M P's on Parliament Hill. After a period of discernment, Jack and his wife Lyn moved back to Ottawa in 2005. He continues working with men and women in leadership roles in various parts of Canada.
