Join us for the Texas Conference Virtual Prayer Conference in English and Spanish on August 25-26, 2023. Invite your family and friends to join you for this powerful prayer time.
Click here for information about the Spanish program.
English Facebook | English YouTube
Spanish Facebook | Spanish YouTube
Sabbath afternoon English breakouts will be held via Zoom. Each breakout is offered twice. You can find the Zoom IDs below.
English Program | Friday, August 25, 2023 | 7:00 pm
Welcome: Elton DeMoraes, Texas Conference president
Opening Prayer: Roderic Bishop, Texas Conference local church pastor and Prayer Ministries volunteer coordinator
Musical Special: Stefany Recinos, vocalist | “Praise You In This Storm”
Message: Barry C. Black, U.S. Senate Chaplain
Roundtable Prayer: Roderic Bishop and Travis Patterson, Keene Seventh-day Adventist Church pastor for children and families
Email prayer requests to prayer@txsda.org
Keynote Speaker: Barry C. Black
Rear Admiral Upper Barry C. Black (Ret.) started his work as the 62nd elected chaplain of the U.S. Senate on July 7, 2003. Prior to Capitol Hill, Black served in the U.S. Navy for over 27 years, ending his distinguished career as the Chief of Navy Chaplains. Awarded many degrees, including two earned doctorates, Black was chosen from 127 nominees for the 1995 NAACP Renown Service Award for his contribution to equal opportunity and civil rights. Most recently, Black was awarded Becket’s highest honor, The Canterbury Medal, for his worthy defense of religious liberty for people of all faiths. He also received the 2022 Northern Lights Book Award in the religious/spiritual category for his children’s book, A Prayer for Our Country: Words to Unite and Inspire Hope (2022). He has authored six books beginning with his autobiography, From the Hood to the Hill (2006). Black is married to Brenda (Pearsall) Black. They have three sons: Barry II, Brendan and Bradford.
Music by vocalist Stefany Recinos
The life journey of Stefany Recinos, born and raised a Houstonian, has always been deeply rooted in faith and service. Recinos discovered her God-given gift of singing at the tender age of five and dedicated her voice to worshiping the Lord. She learned early on that our voices are a powerful instrument of praise and that worship through song is not just about the melodies and lyrics; it is a heartfelt expression of devotion and a conduit for spiritual connection. Recinos’ pursuit of knowledge and passion for music led her to Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan, where she earned a B.A. with an emphasis in journalism and music and a minor in Spanish. Ministry has taken Recinos to many churches, where she delights in worshipping with diverse congregations. Each encounter presents her with the beautiful tapestry of humanity as she meets people from different backgrounds, carrying unique pasts and following various paths—all converging to the same destination: a life laid down at the feet of Christ. Her genuine hope and prayer is to encourage others to embrace their talents for the glory of God so that we may all together spread the message of hope, love and unity until our Father returns for us and takes us home.
Sabbath, August 26, 2023 | 3:00 pm
Welcome: David Runnels, Texas Conference field secretary
Opening Prayer: Travis Patterson, Keene Seventh-day Adventist Church pastor for children and families
Musical Special: Stefany Recinos, vocalist | “I’d Rather Have Jesus”
Message: Mark Finley, assistant to the president for the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
Breakouts: See Zoom options below.
Musical Special: Stefany Recinos, vocalist | “Softly and Tenderly”
Message: Mark Finley, assistant to the president for the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
Roundtable Prayer: Roderic Bishop, Texas Conference local church pastor and Prayer Ministries volunteer coordinator, and Travis Patterson
Email prayer requests to prayer@txsda.org.
Keynote Speaker: Mark Finley
Mark Finley serves as assistant to the president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists in Silver Spring, Maryland, continuing to work with evangelism and television. Evangelism is where he made his mark on the world, presenting more than 200 global evangelistic campaigns in about 100 countries with the resulting baptisms numbering in the thousands. He presents the series Experience Hope, a weekly broadcast on the Hope Channel. Previously, he was the speaker for the It Is Written telecast for 20 years. He became a pioneer of satellite evangelism technology when he launched the first NET evangelism satellite series broadcast in North America in 1995, and subsequent series in 1996, 2000 and 2008. He has preached more than 20 NET series broadcasts throughout the world, with millions in attendance. Finley has used his preaching and evangelism gifts to teach others in seminars, field schools and evangelism institutes. He has written nearly 100 books, numerous seminar presentations, major evangelistic series sermons, teaching manuals and magazine articles. He has been the principal author of the adult Sabbath school quarterly on more than one occasion. Finley and his wife, Ernestine “Teenie” have three grown children, Deborah, Rebecca and Mark Jr., and five grandchildren. Click for full bio.
Music by vocalist Stefany Recinos
See her bio above.
English Breakouts via Zoom | Each breakout is offered twice.
Focus: Women | Zoom ID 528 250 2427 | Nadine Collins
“How Then Shall We Pray as Leaders: Creating Your WOW Leadership Legacy”
Having a WOW prayer life can prepare you to leave a lasting legacy in your leadership. In this session, you will learn that prayer is crucial to your life, ministry and leadership. A leader’s responsibility to make sound decisions, inspire others and navigate complex challenges can be overwhelming. Prayer is the most valuable tool that enables leaders to seek guidance and find inner peace by entirely depending on God for wisdom, guidance, strength and effective and purposeful leadership. Facilitators: Lisa Gaunt and Antonette Melrose
Nadine Collins is an international speaker, women’s leadership and empowerment coach, prayer counselor and author. She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Administration but has dedicated herself to full-time ministry. She travels globally, empowering the prayer lives of others as a leading expert on prayer, and has been a guest on 3ABN and Hope Channel. Collins launched the very first online prayer training program, a Certified Prayer Counselor class that teaches how to connect more meaningfully with God and get more YES answers from Him by using proven biblical strategies. Her goal is to help faith-based women break free from indoctrinations, fear and anything that sets barriers to their advancement. She is the author of nine books, including Make Your Prayer Life Go WOW. Free Resource: 3 Steps to Your Next BIG Breakthrough: Develop a WOW Life Through the Power of Prayer
Focus: Men | Zoom ID 951 646 2343 | Rupert Bushner, Jr.
“Why Do Men Need to Pray More Now?”
Men of prayer understand the power of communicating with God through the Holy Spirit. Such men are not just talkers; rather, they intentionally seek the face of God and listen for His voice. They are humble and recognize their dependence on God for everything. Men of prayer are not only concerned with their own needs, but they intercede for others and align their petitions with the will of God. Bushner will emphasize why it is imperative that men pray more now, in this season. Facilitators: Keane Adams, Emmanuel Abar and Albert Walker
Rupert Bushner, Jr., iis the pastor of the Ridge Area Seventh-day Adventist Church in Avon Park, Florida, part of the Southeastern Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. He considers preaching a privileged opportunity to talk about his best Friend, Jesus. He has shared the gospel message in South Africa, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Canada, Bermuda, the Caribbean Islands and from coast-to-coast in the United States. He is passionate about empowering both the young and the old. He desires to see every soul saved into the kingdom of God. During his college years at Oakwood University (OU) in Huntsville, Alabama, he met the love of his life, Jo Ann King. They have been married for 39 years and have five adult children, nine grandchildren (one deceased) and one great-grandson. Besides a bachelor’s degree from OU, Bushner earned a Master of Divinity from the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan, and a Doctor of Ministry from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. His motto for life is: What you are is God’s gift to you, and what you become is your gift to God. What kind of gift do you want to give God? I want to give God an awesome gift!
Focus: Family | Zoom ID 269 292 2916 | Tamyra Horst
“Praying for Our Kids in a World Gone Crazy”
How do we pray for our kids in today’s world, with all they face? How do we pray for adult children who are not walking with God? Do our prayers make a difference? Join author and speaker Tamyra Horst as she digs deep into how we can pray like crazy for our children—young or old—and discover a God who not only hears our prayers, but wants more for our children than we can imagine. Facilitators: Doug and Myrna Garner
Tamyra Horst is just a daughter-in-awe of an incredible Father who desires to “encourage, equip and challenge people to grow deeply and serve uniquely.” An author and popular speaker, she serves as the Columbia Union Conference Women’s Ministries director in addition to her responsibilities as director of the Communication, Women’s Ministries, Family Ministries and Prayer Ministries departments for the Pennsylvania Conference of Seventh-day Adventists in Hamburg, Pennsylvania. She has authored Praying Like Crazy for Your Husband and Praying Like Crazy for Your Kids, among other books. Along with hiking with her husband, Tim, she enjoys spending time with her sons and daughters-in-law and also sharing a cup of tea and great conversations with girlfriends.
Focus: Young Adults | Zoom ID 659 305 7747 | Michael Gibson
“The Pace of Prayer”
The deck can seem stacked against us when it comes to engaging in prayer in our everyday lives. Do we even have time for it? In this session, we’ll explore the pace of prayer and how praying is more about a way of life than it is something else to do before going to bed. Facilitators: Emmanuel Maati and Christopher Findley
Recently ordained into the gospel ministry, Michael Gibson is the lead pastor for the Keene Seventh-day Adventist Church in Keene, Texas. He has been part of the pastoral staff for about five years and was influential in starting the congregation’s Elevate service, designed especially for young adults. What began in a small room now meets each Sabbath during the second worship service (of three). Gibson studied theology at Southwestern Adventist University in Keene, Texas, and holds a Master of Divinity from the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. He and his wife, Melissa DePaiva, have one son, Micah.
