Randy Gariss to speak at Governor's Prayer Breakfast

A man who helped bring solace to those who went through the Joplin Tornado May 22 has been selected as the speaker for this year's Governor's Prayer Breakfast.

Randy Gariss, pastor of College Heights Christian Church, presided over the memorial service at Missouri Southern State University one week after the tornado.

The news release from Gov. Jay Nixon's office is printed below:

The preaching minister of Joplin's College Heights Christian Church, Pastor Randy Gariss, will be the featured speaker at the 2012 Missouri Governor's Prayer Breakfast, on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2012, at the Capitol Plaza Hotel and Convention Center in Jefferson City. The Prayer Breakfast is an annual inter-faith event for all leaders and citizens of Missouri; its purpose is to seek God's guidance for the state's political leaders as they begin the legislative session.


In addition to the keynote speaker, the breakfast will also feature prayers, scripture verses and special music. The theme of the annual breakfast is Joshua 1:9: "Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

Pastor Gariss has been the preaching minister of College Heights Christian Church (CHCC) for 30 years. The congregation has an extensive ministry with the poor and in helping to plant the church in restricted or closed areas around the world. CHCC joined other Joplin faith communities in leading the response to the devastating May 22 tornado, and the church continues to play a vital role in the ongoing recovery effort. Pastor Gariss presided and spoke at the May 29 memorial service at Missouri Southern State University that featured remarks from President Obama and Gov. Nixon, and which was carried live on television around the world.

Pastor Gariss often speaks nationally and globally on issues of leadership and justice and is a frequent speaker on college campuses, especially in addressing relationship issues. He is a contributing editor for The Christian Standard magazine, and the current vice president of the North American Christian Convention.

His greatest passion, Pastor Gariss says, is simply to be a Christ-follower. He and his wife, Julie, have been married for 36 years, and have three children and five grandchildren.

Tickets for the Governor's Prayer Breakfast are $30 per seat or $300 per table, and may be purchased online at www.missourigpb.com. Questions about the breakfast or about ordering by mail may be sent to breakfast@missourigpb.com; the event also has a Facebook page. Seating of guests the morning of the event will start at 7:10 a.m., with the breakfast beginning at 7:30 a.m. and ending at 9 a.m.

Proceeds from the Governor's Prayer Breakfast support the Governor's Student Leadership Forum on Faith and Values. The forum brings together select Missouri college students for a three-day study of faith and leadership. Participants explore the role faith has played in the lives of business executives, sports figures and government officials.

The Missouri Governor's Prayer Breakfast, established in the 1950s, is an annual observance welcoming participants from around Missouri at the beginning of the General Assembly's legislative session. It was established as an extension of the National Prayer Breakfast, which was first held in 1953.