News & Views

The 2020 Annual City Prayer Breakfast was recently held on Wednesday 14 October 2020 and because of COVID restriction was held virtually.

It was my pleasure on behalf the whole organising committee to extend a warm welcome to the Annual City Prayer Breakfast on Wednesday 14 October 2020.

For over 50 years Christians from across The City have come together once a year for this event.

There are three aims:

• to encourage Christians to pray for the City, for those of all faiths and none who live or work within it, and for the influence that the City has within the UK and beyond
• to celebrate the community that exists amongst Christians in the City
• to encourage Christians working in the City to be ambassadors for Christ within their workplaces

Previously, we met in a number of locations including Guildhall and a number of City churches. This year because of the COVID restriction, we did not meet together on mass but virtually. We had over 500 different viewing devices, probably representing nearly 1000 participants, access the City Prayer Breakfast.  Some joined from their homeworking location or with a church or workplace small-group Covid restrictions permitting. More than ever the verses from Matthew 18:22 “Where two or more are gathered, there I am with them” hold true.

This year our theme was “Love Your Neighbour”. The Rt Hon Lord Mayor Alderman William Russell read Mark 12 verses 28-31 to begin the proceedings.

In previous years, we often have had an individual from the financial and the professional services sectors speak to us by way of encouragement about how prayer has played a part in their lives.

This year mindful of the amazing work that the NHS and care workers are providing we thought it would be appropriate to ask Dr David Randall from St Barts Hospital which is based here in The City to speak to us. He is a doctor specialising in renal medicine who answered the call to serve in the front-line role in hospitals across the Barts Health NHS trust during the coronavirus epidemic.

He was followed by Simon Abrams, Director Sustainable Finance, who leads EY’s practice in this area focusing on delivering low carbon transition and positive social outcomes followed sharing his insights into serving as a Christian in the City. He led us to pray for the City, for those of all faiths and for the influence that the City has with the UK and beyond.

Meryl Ching, Global Operations Manager, Bupa, also spoke and led us in prayer. She co-leads Bupa Christians and is involved with the cross-company group, Angel Court Christians. She celebrated the community which exists among Christians in the City reminding us of the strength of prayer, encouragement and community.

Finally, Simon Edwards, a former lawyer and now Lead Missioner at The Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics encouraged Christians in the City to be ambassadors for Christ in the workplace, praying for boldness for Christians in the City.

We ended with a Gaelic blessing

“May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face:

the rains fall softly on your fields

and until we meet again,

may God hold you in the palm of his hand."

If you did not have an opportunity to watch the video or would like to watch it again here is a link to allow you to do so. 

If you would like to make a donation to help us cover our running costs, you can do so by clicking here – whilst we don’t expect donations and want people to pray above everything else, please rest assured what is donated this year will also help us to finance next year’s Annual City Prayer Breakfast as well. 

A selection of the very positive feedback we received is captured below:

Vicky and I very much appreciated being included in the City Prayer Breakfast. Thank you for involving us... It was an inspiring occasion and made even better by your excellent organisation.

We just watched this and found it truly inspirational and encouraging as well as informative. Well done and many thanks to you and your committee colleagues.  

Well done on the City Prayer Breakfast video. I thought it was a marvellous production and a wonderful catalyst and means whereby which to pray for the City of London at such a challenging time as this. So encouraging to know that, as I was praying, so too many others throughout the country were praying together as well in their homes and offices. What a tremendous blessing. Thank you for putting that together so excellently!

It was a pleasure to join with you this morning for the Annual City Prayer Breakfast and thank you for the kind invitation.

It was both challenging and enlightening to learn from the contributors the work and issues they face in the city, both through the Covid-19 pandemic and also through their professional experiences. I do thank God for you and your fellow colleagues who work and witness through busy times and busy days. I appreciated your comment that nations are reached through their cities and I am praying with you all that your witness will have more than a ripple effect on the city and our nation as a whole. 

I trust you and your family are well and pray that God will continue to bless you in your Christian witness.

Well done for a super CPB! Inspiring speakers and wholly appropriate words of encouragement for all.

The tech was marvellous - all went so smoothly and all beautifully filmed.