Grand River Leadership Prayer Breakfast
Join us for a morning of prayerful support for our Federal, Provincial and Municipal leaders
This year's Speaker - David Tunikaitis
David is an ordained minister who has served in multiple positions in various churches throughout Ontario for over twenty years. With a deep passion for community service and youth empowerment, he now serves as the Executive Director of the Dunnville Youth Impact Centre. In this role, David seeks to provide essential support to marginalized families and young people, offering a range of initiatives with the goal of Equipping Youth for Life's Journey. His commitment to fostering growth, resilience, and effective partnerships with other youth-focused organizations in Haldimand County continues to drive his leadership and service
Marie Trainer
April 9, 1946 - October 31, 2024
In loving memory of Marie Trainer (Hagersville, Ontario), who departed this world on October 31, 2024 at the age of 78. Marie leaves behind a legacy remembered by family and friends.
With the loss of such a strong member of our team, we made the difficult decision to forego the Prayer Breakfast for 2025. Lord, willing, the 15th annual Grand River Leadership Prayer Breakfast will be held on April 18, 2026.
Thank you so much for your support for our community leaders! It is our hope that you will continue to prayer for the leaders of our country, our province and our communities throughout the coming year.
More About who we are
About Us
For one morning each year, the Grand River Leadership Prayer Breakfast brings together like-minded Christians to enjoy fellowship and hear an inspirational speaker who is living out his or her faith in the workplace and the community. The program also features an inspirational musical presentation. The event is held annually in April and attracts 300-350 participants.
The inaugural Grand River Leadership Prayer Breakfast was held in April 2008 with guest speaker Kim Phuc. Although we made the difficult decision not to hold a public breakfast from 2020-2022, we resumed in 2023 with the 13th annual in-person breakfast and continue to gather as a community, united in prayer for our leaders.
Purpose Statement
The purpose of the Grand River Leadership Prayer Breakfast is to publicly recognize, honour, uphold, appreciate and encourage our community (civic) leaders, and to do so by gathering the Christian community together to lift up and to pray for wisdom, guidance, discernment, and understanding for our leaders in a Christian setting of celebration and thanksgiving.
Core Values
These are the core Values of the Grand River Leadership Prayer Breakfast
- The GRLPB remains Christian in its nature
- Members of the GRLPB are committed Christians
- The GRLPB focuses equally on the three communities of Haldimand County, Six Nations of the Grand River and the Mississaugas of Credit First Nation Reserves
- The GRLPB Committee strives to consist of representatives from these three communities
- The aim is to bring the leaders and people of the three communities together, and to break barriers
- All aspects of the annual GRLPB are to enhance the unity of the three communities: prayers, speakers, music, etc.
- The Speaker is to be inspirational and uplifting, not critical or condemning
- The setting is celebrative and appreciative of the work of our civic leaders
- The GRLPB is a safe environment for our civic leaders
- The GRLPB is an opportunity to support, encourage, uphold and pray for our civic leaders
Previous GRLPB Speakers
2008 - Kim Phuc
President, The Kim Foundation International and Vietnam survivor
2009 - Paul Henderson
Hockey Legend and member of
Team Canada '72
2010 - Jim Cantelon
Founder, VisionLedd Ministries
"Communities of Compassion"
2011 - David Toycen
President, World Vision Canada
"Help Change our World"
2012 - John Edelman
Owner, Haldimand Motors
"Leadership: What Have I Gotten Myself Into?"
2013 - Brother Frederick Dryden
Founder and Executive Director, Liberty for Youth
"Bringing Change to the Next Generation"
2014 - Lorna Dueck
President and Executive Producer, Context with Lorna Dueck
"Leading with Integrity"
2015 - Hon. James Turnbull
Regional Senior Justice, Central South Ontario
"Justice and Mercy: A Christian Judge's Perspective"
2016 - Thanh Campbell
"Sharing You Story: Lost and Found - Orphan 32"
2017 - Rev. Mark L. MacDonald
Bishop, Anglican Church of Canada
"Looking Back, Looking Forward"
2018 - Dr. Jean Chamberlain Froese
Director, International Women's Health Program, McMaster University
"Healing of the Nations"
2019 - Steve Fenton
President, Battlefield International
"The Upside to Total Failure"
2020/23 - Jim Turnbull
Hope for Haiti
"Leading with Integrity in a Post-Christian Canada"
2024 - Rev. Steven deBoer
Mission Pastor, The Bridge
"Shining Hope in Our Communities"