NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)??The former minister of prayer for First Baptist Church, Woodstock, Ga., has joined the Baptist Sunday School Board as a prayer/discipleship consultant.
John Franklin, who also has served as director of the prayer room at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Ala., began working for the Nashville, Tenn.,?based board in August.
“John brings to the Sunday School Board and local churches a heart of prayer and spiritual awakening,” said Jay Johnston, manager of the training and enrichment section in the discipleship and family development division where the prayer ministry is housed. “My prayer is that God will use him as a multiplier to assist churches in being a house of prayer.”
T.W. Hunt, author of “The Mind of Christ,” “Disciple’s Prayer Life” and “In God’s Presence,” served as the Sunday School Board’s prayer consultant before his retirement in 1994. He has continued to lead conferences on prayer for the BSSB since.
“When T.W. first came to the board, there was very little talk or emphasis on serious prayer among our churches. He had to do a lot of plowing,” Franklin said. “Now there is an increasing interest in prayer among our churches, and good materials are continuing to come out.”
Franklin said he hopes to 1) capitalize on the growing awareness of the need to pray and encourage it and 2) help churches develop a lifestyle of prayer.
“I believe the next step is for churches to see a prayer ministry as much more than a prayer room. We want them to see it as a walk with God in their everyday lives with a potential to impact those around them.”
Churches can contact Franklin by calling (615) 251?5620 or sending email to [email protected].
