Prayer Breakfast returns to Bakersfield after a pandemic break

Jan. 20—The annual Bakersfield Prayer Breakfast returned to the city on Thursday after going virtual last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Hundreds of the faithful filled the Mechanics Bank Convention Center for the 42nd iteration of the event, which is meant to uplift leaders and everyday citizens through faith.

The event occurred in the midst of a COVID-19 surge driven by the omicron variant, which has pushed the daily case rate to its highest point of the pandemic. Still, coronavirus played a relatively minor part of the event.

Keynote speaker Bob McEwen, who represented Ohio as a Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1981 to 1993, focused his speech on American exceptionalism and the role of Christianity in the founding of this country.

"No nation has blessed the world like this nation has blessed the world," he said during his remarks. "If a ship is attacked on the high seas as has happened over 300 times last year, to whom can they appeal? Only the 327,000 Americans who wear the uniform of the United States Navy."

As applause ripped through the audience of several hundred, McEwen finished, "America is the standard for righteousness in the world."

According to event organizers, Bakersfield's prayer breakfast is the second largest in the United States, only surpassed by the national event in Washington D.C. During her closing statement, Mayor Karen Goh proudly pointed out that both Bakersfield and Kern County declare "In God We Trust" in their respective legislative chambers.

"Today, Bakersfield, California, and Kern County, we are so proud to be part of a nation whose God is the Lord," Goh said. "We are so grateful that we know where freedom comes from. And that freedom comes from the one who said, 'I am the way, I am the truth. I am the light.' We are blessed because of him."

Modeled after the 1953 Presidential Prayer Breakfast held by then-President Dwight Eisenhower, Bakersfield first started its own rendition in 1975. While Mary K. Shell was mayor, the breakfast became a tradition.

Taking place in an election year, this year's Prayer Breakfast was sprinkled with politics.

At one point McEwen claimed "only the left burns books" and suggested socialism violated the one of the Ten Commandments of the Bible, "Thou shalt not covet."

"Under free enterprise, you make an exchange and, at the end of the exchange, you are both better off, we have created wealth," McEwen said. "Under covetousness, I take what somebody else has because I'm entitled to it, or because of fairness or equality or whatever justification in the book, but I haven't created any wealth. The degree to which I benefit by stealing this thing is the degree to which the other person is diminished and (Moses's father) said, 'Moses, you don't want anybody like that because that will destroy everything.'"

Prior to McEwen's address, a series of speakers offered prayers for the government, health care, public safety, businesses, religious leaders, youth and educators.

Touching on the difficulty many have experienced throughout the pandemic, master of ceremonies Robin Mangarin Scott started off the event on a somewhat somber note.

"We know how hard it is to find hope in our world and move forward," she said.

Attendees then prayed, recited the Pledge of Allegiance and sat down for breakfast.

You can reach Sam Morgen at 661-395-7415. You may also follow him on Twitter @smorgenTBC.