Kampala, Uganda — During the annual National Prayer Breakfast at State House, President Yoweri Museveni expressed his concerns about the apparent decline of the U.S. National Prayer Breakfast Group, which played a pivotal role in introducing the concept to Uganda over 26 years ago. Addressing attendees at the event held on Tuesday, the President reminisced about the origins of Uganda’s prayer movement and his willingness to help revive its U.S. counterpart.
“When we came into power, a group from the U.S. called the National Prayer Breakfast Group came to us. They introduced it here, and we have sustained it for 26 years,” Museveni shared, acknowledging the contributions of Doug Coe, a key figure in the U.S. group, and his German counterpart, Rudolf Decker. Coe was an integral part of the U.S. National Prayer Breakfast, an event that had been a staple in Washington, D.C., since 1953, bringing together political, religious, and business leaders to discuss global issues through a spiritual lens.
However, the U.S. National Prayer Breakfast recently underwent significant changes. Due to concerns over transparency and coordination, the U.S. Congress separated from The Fellowship Foundation, the Christian organization that had historically organized the event. In 2023, 30 groups signed a letter boycotting the breakfast due to concerns about the event’s transparency. This resulted in the U.S. prayer tradition losing its long-standing momentum, a decline that caught President Museveni’s attention.
While reflecting on the success and growth of Uganda’s National Prayer Breakfast, Museveni questioned the challenges facing the U.S. group. “Recently, I was talking to First Lady Janet and pointing out that our movement here, which was planted by those people, is growing, but wondering what happened to theirs because they are the ones who introduced it to us,” he remarked.
He further expressed a willingness to offer help to restore the U.S. prayer breakfast tradition. “We need to check on the U.S. and see what happened to their movement, whether they need our help, and if we can help them because I no longer hear anything from that group,” Museveni added.
In a bid to investigate the situation further, Museveni tasked Minister of State for Trade, David Bahati, with contacting U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley, whom the President believes is the only surviving member of the original group involved in the prayer breakfast initiative. “I am tasking Minister David Bahati to contact Senator Grassley, who I think is the only surviving member of that group, and find out what happened,” Museveni stated.
Since its introduction in Uganda, the National Prayer Breakfast has become a significant event, fostering unity and dialogue across religious and political lines. The gathering, held annually on the eve of Independence Day, brings together leaders from various denominations to offer prayers and reflections on the state of the nation.
As Uganda’s prayer breakfast continues to grow, President Museveni’s call to assist the U.S. group reflects the strong ties and spiritual foundation that have been cultivated between the two countries through this tradition. Whether Uganda’s prayer movement can lend its strength to reviving the U.S. tradition remains to be seen, but the gesture underlines Museveni’s commitment to the values that the prayer breakfast represents.
