By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

KEWANNA — Norm Steigely and Todd Wilson feel that the U.S. could use prayer.

“We just felt that we haven’t seen a time that prayer for the nation is needed more than it is now,” said Steigely.

That notion has motivated the start of the organization Pray 4 America Movement, with Steigely adding he felt called by God to do so. The group has gained its nonprofit status through Indiana and is working on being declared so by the federal government.

Its mission statement states, “We desire to empower people to regularly and consistently pray together in unity for leaders in all strata of American society, so that America might become all God has created her to be.”

Steigely, Kewanna, currently serves as Pray 4 America Movement’s vice president, with Wilson, who is Gentiva Hospice chaplain and a former pastor, as president. Rob Wingerter, who helps run the religious retreat center Mahseh Center at Lake Bruce, is treasurer.

Pray 4 America Movement had its first prayer gathering in October in Kewanna. Its next one is planned for 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 7, at the Times Theater in Rochester.

Steigely said the gatherings include the playing of the national anthem and “God Bless America” as well as the prayer time.

“We pray for leaders in federal, local and state (positions),” he explained. “We pray for business leaders. We pray for school leaders and teachers and the safety of our kids, and it just goes on and on.”

He said Pray 4 America Movement also wants to create “unified prayer” on different topics.

“We want to do that through the churches where we would have a one-minute prayer that they could use in their service,” said Steigely.

The organization is working on getting its website started. Steigely said organizers hope the movement becomes national with so-called “ambassadors” starting up prayer events across the U.S.

Donations for Pray 4 America Movement are welcomed to help pay for its federal nonprofit status, with people asked to send those to: Pray 4 America Movement, P.O. Box 186, Kewanna, IN 46939.

Wilson, who currently serves on the Rochester City Council, vouched for the importance of praying for leaders.

“Even at a local level, we have a lot of decisions that sometimes are difficult,” he said. “You have people on both sides of the issue in a tug-of-war. We always need as much help as possible, not just talking back and forth and hearing all the opinions, but also (on deciding what’s) going to be best in the long run.”

He said he was speaking with a friend in another country and complaining about leaders in the U.S. to the friend.

“This friend said, ‘Well, maybe if you prayed more for your leaders, they’d be better leaders,'” recalled Wilson.

“In our society today, we’ve gotten away from regular prayer, and we want to rebuild that,” added Steigely. “If … people start praying, who knows where it’s going to take us?”