
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, August 17, 1995                   TAG: 9508170069
SECTION: NEIGHBORS                    PAGE: S9   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: TONYA WOODS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

PRAY A MINUTE LIST GROWS TO 200

It has been almost a month since word was sent out about Ben Myers' praying crusade. But Myers still has the excitement that seems to be driving him toward his mission to get 1,440 people praying one minute a day, every day, for city government.

"I'm still at it, and so far the response has really been great," Myers said.

It's called Pray A Minute. The prayer list has increased from 52 people a month ago to nearly 200. Myers has been getting help and encouragement from the congregation at Greene Memorial Church, where he is janitor, and from his fellow Roanoke citizens.

But, he said, "I still don't feel as though the list is growing fast enough."

The Christian Broadcasting Network, based in Norfolk, has volunteered to air information about Myers' efforts on its television station, he said.

Myers said he plans to try to get The 700 Club to air a bit of information about Pray A Minute.

Myers said that reports of crime and violence in the newspaper frustrated him so much that he figured prayer was the best thing for the city.

A banquet recognizing Pray A Minute will be held Aug. 28 at the Hotel Roanoke. It will encourage others to join Pray A Minute and keep people who are already on the list praying.

Myers hopes it will be more than just a dinner with a few speeches. He plans to get a local concert pianist, an opera singer and even a local comedian to perform at the banquet.

"If we could get everybody praying a minute it would be a lot better than fighting," said Ken Schoff, activities director at the United Methodist Home in Roanoke.

Schoff, who has been performing for about six months in small church groups, will do a brief comic routine at the banquet.

Scott Jordan, an engineer at WEFC-TV 38, began praying daily at 7:59 a.m., and so far he has been pretty consistent.

"Every once in a while I might get thrown off track a little bit," he said. "It's hard to keep your finger right on that second."

But Jordan doesn't have to worry, even the catalyst of Pray A Minute falls off the prayer track occasionally.

"I'm a praying man," Myers said, "but sometimes I forget my minute at that exact time every day."

Those with prayer requests and those who want to assign themselves a to a minute to pray can mail a written request to: Ben Myers, P.O. Box 1351, Roanoke, Va. 24007.

by CNB