JEFFERSON CITY – Aeneas Williams, who had a Hall of Fame career with the NFL’s Rams and Cardinals and is now a pastor and community leader in St. Louis, will be the featured speaker at the Missouri Governor’s Prayer Breakfast, on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016, 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 governmental leaders at the beginning of the legislative session.
In addition to Pastor Williams as the keynote speaker, the breakfast will also feature prayers, scripture verses and special music from the Jefferson City High School Chorale.
Tickets for the Governor’s Prayer Breakfast are $35 per seat or $350 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 from public and private universities 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.
About the speaker
In 1989, New Orleans-raised Aeneas Williams was a junior walk-on defensive back at Southern University. The next year, before earning a bachelor’s degree in accounting, he tied the NCAA Division I-AA single-season interception record. Williams was drafted in the third round of the 1991 draft by the Phoenix (later Arizona) Cardinals and became a St. Louis Ram in 2001.
During a remarkable 14-year NFL career that included a Super Bowl, eight Pro Bowls and four All-Pro selections, Williams had chances to help some of his teammates through some of life’s rougher patches. These opportunities led him to the realization that unhappiness doesn’t come from the things in our lives, rather it comes from things missing from our lives.
Aeneas Williams made his personal commitment to Jesus Christ during his junior year at Southern University and has devoted his off-field life to sharing the wisdom and understanding of the Word of God. He is a beloved St. Louis community leader and role model whose tireless service, outreach and personal counsel have changed lives. Pastor Williams has a love for people and a passion for helping each of us fulfill our full potential. In 2007, he and his wife of 23 years, Tracy, founded The Spirit Church in St. Louis, where he serves as senior pastor.
On Aug. 2, 2014, Aeneas Williams was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
Before entering the ministry, he wrote It Takes Respect, an inspirational insight into his passions, faith and leadership principles.
Aeneas, Tracy, their three daughters Saenea, Tirzah and Cheyenne, and son Lazarus live in Creve Coeur.
