Hundreds join for prayer at prayer breakfast

May 4—MORGAN TOWNSHIP — Jefferson native Matt Wintz returned to his community on Friday morning to share the importance of prayer with more than 450 people at the 34th Ashtabula County Concerts of Prayer breakfast.

The event was held at Eagleville Bible Church and brought churches together to pray for the community. The event is run by an inter-denominal board that includes churches from all over the county.

Ryan Nevil is the president of that board. He said the event is designed to create unity within the church and the community.

The event is held annually in conjunction with the National Day of Prayer which was held in ceremonies across the county, and the nation, on Thursday.

Wintz said he was glad to be back in town. "It's amazing. ... This is my harbor. It feels like a reunion," he said. He was introduced by Janie Gildersleeve, whose son went to school with Wintz.

She shared testimonials from his classmates regarding Wintz's integrity, sense of humor and faith.

Wintz emphasized the importance of prayer in his life, and the life of community, and urged Christians to pray bigger prayers. "God wants to show you about the power of prayer. You just have to ask," he said.

That power of prayer showed in Wintz's life from the time he was a high school student and well into his young adult years. It also intersected with his love for weather that started when he was three years old devouring television weather reports.

He shared of his love for Stephanie, now his wife, when they met during a band event when she was in eighth grade and he a freshman at JAHS.

Wintz fell head over heels in love, and she thought he was a great friend.

That friendship continued for many years through telephone conversations and many other forms. Eventually they both ended up in suburban Chicago.

"The game changer was we started to go to church together," he said.

Wintz shared how the importance of prayer, and patience, brought them together many years later. He also shared how God used small moments in his life to open up bigger doors.

The budding meteorologist worked in retail sales for several years in Ohio and eventually Illinois. One day a lady customer at American Eagle in suburban Chicago, where he was a manager, stopped to thank him for the work of the staff.

He candidly told her he was actually looking to be a television meteorologist and she said she worked for WGN in Chicago and she sent him job openings across the country.

That meeting led to a job at small station in Indiana that included a 100-mile drive while he worked at his other job at the same time. Wintz said he reached out to God in prayer and a job opening became available in Georgia.

Three years later, he and his young family were looking to move closer to home. He had not signed a renewal contract for his job with two weeks left on his previous agreement.

Wintz said he remembers sitting at a railroad crossing ask God to move and provide an opportunity. Wintz said the next day he heard from WKYC and has been with the station for seven years.

"We need to treat God like he's the God over the universe," Wintz said.

The prayer breakfast format included eight different Christian leaders praying for different aspects of community life. The different areas of focused prayer included churches, education, business, families, safety forces, the government, healthcare and homelessness and the opioid crisis.

ACCP Board President Ryan Nevil said the prayer time for the community is most important part of the event.

"We thank you we are able to gather together to pray. I pray for every child in the county. ... I pray you will help every student that came here today," said Bridget Rand, of Conneaut.

Steve Sargent, of Hiawatha Church of God in Christ in Ashtabula, prayed for first responders and safety forces. "We thank you for those who are on the first line of defense," he said while asking for protection for the many law enforcement and emergency workers that risk their lives daily.

Janie Gildersleeve prayed for healthcare facilities and the workers that provide care under challenging circumstances. She said the healthcare world was changed dramatically in 2020 and still faces challenges.

"We pray for those struggling with burnout," she said.