Dr. Ronnie Floyd is senior pastor of Cross Church, which has four campuses in northwest Arkansas and one in southwest Missouri, as well as immediate past president of the Southern Baptist Convention. He was selected by the NDP’s board of directors to replace Anne Graham Lotz, who had been leading the annual event since longtime chairwoman Shirley Dobson stepped down in 2016. His selection was announced on Tuesday.
Floyd says he feels called by God to step into this new role while remaining as pastor to the more than 20,000 members of Cross Church.
“There’s never been a greater need in our country than prayer for our nation,” he states, “so I am really burdened about where we are – the deep polarization, the division, the speech that is not honoring to one another …. We really need to pray, and I do not know of any ultimate answer other than calling out to God.”
The first Thursday of May has been designated as the National Day of Prayer since 1988 but Floyd hopes it becomes an “everyday expression.”
“It’s also our desire to see the National Day of Prayer become a multi-church, multi-denominational, multi-ministry, multi-generational, multi-ethnic, and multi-lingual movement of prayer for America,” he adds.
Floyd envisions the National Day of Prayer becoming “a leader of the rhythm of prayer for the next great awakening in America.” Next year’s observance is scheduled for Thursday, May 3.
Read more at Passionate about prayer, burdened about America.
