My Kind of Guy

Christian prayer breakfast open to all
Faithful to focus on importance of God in the workplace

Virginia de Leon
Staff writer

In all his business ventures, Jeffrey Ng seeks advice from one source.

"God," said the vice president of Davenport Sun International, former owner of Spokane's Davenport Hotel. "I always pray and ask God to lead me."

His relationship with God doesn't end when he leaves church on Sunday, Ng said. It continues when he goes home, when he sleeps at night, when he walks in the office on Monday morning.

In recent months -- especially since the terrorism of Sept. 11 -- Ng and other local business people say they've been more open about issues of faith and religion.

Even in the workplace.

"You need God, especially at work," said Ng, a native of Malaysia. "You can't leave him outside the office door."

On Friday, business leaders like Ng will join pastors and others from throughout the community during the 42nd annual Leadership Prayer Breakfast.

The event will feature Bill and Judi Williams, founders of Telect. Along with their son, Wayne, who is now CEO, the couple will talk about how God has provided them with peace, purpose and guidance, especially during these tough economic times.

"I'm not ashamed of my faith, I won't put it aside," said Carrie Brown, a supervisor at Kelly Services and one of the organizers of the prayer breakfast. "It's about the relationship I have with Jesus."

As a pastor, Rodney McAuley has noticed a change in the culture -- how people are more open now to discuss diverse ideas, including religion. People used to believe that faith and God were taboo subjects, especially at work, but now, you'll hear more conversations about church and religion around the water cooler, he said.

"The openness to speak about God has increased," said McAuley, the pastor of Antioch Foursquare Church in Spokane.

People are willing to debate differences, he said, which has created an encouraging atmosphere. The post-Sept. 11 trauma, coupled with the war in Iraq, also has contributed to people's need to talk about spirituality, he said.

President Bush, who has been vocal about his own religious convictions, has set a tone for other leaders to "combine the secular with the sacred," McAuley said.

Although the annual prayer breakfast will delve into subjects other than religion, the thrust of the event's message is "to exalt the name of Jesus," organizers say. Most of the people attending the event will be Christians of various denominations, they said, but people of all faiths are invited.

Formerly known as the mayor's prayer breakfast, the annual event is a way to honor public officials -- regardless of their political affiliation or viewpoints.

"The Scriptures teach us to pray for and bless and honor those in authority," McAuley said.

Elected officials who make tough decisions every day need to receive support, Brown said.

Participants also will pray for the nation and the world. A portion of the program will honor Native Americans, "whose land we are on," McAuley said.

Although people can express their faith in the workplace, proselytizing is sometimes inappropriate, especially when it infringes on the rights of those holding other beliefs.

The 1997 guidelines on Freedom of Religious Expression in the Federal Workplace generally permit federal employees to discuss religious views with other employees, including proselytizing. They also can invite co-workers to religious services or observances, but the proselytizing shouldn't continue if a fellow employee demonstrates that such expression is unwelcome.

People can demonstrate "authentic Christianity" in the way they treat co-workers and conduct business, McAuley said.

It's about ethics and doing the right thing, Brown said. Having God in your life also allows you to accept the fact that you're not perfect and despite that, there is still forgiveness, she said.

When she's having a hard day or has a difficult decision on her hands, Brown turns to God by whispering a prayer, she said.

Since converting from Buddhism to Christianity in 1975, Ng has never shied away from sharing his faith, he said. People aren't always receptive about his openness, but that doesn't stop him from talking about Jesus at work, during his business trips overseas, and even during airplane rides.

"I am so dependent on God," Ng said. "He is so much a part of my life."