As 2026 ramps up, members of the Rotary Membership and Kiwanis Membership of Covington spent final Friday morning collectively for a time of prayer and reflection.
For the previous twenty years, the golf equipment have gathered simply earlier than dawn for the annual Neighborhood Prayer Breakfast. It’s a novel occasion that’s seldom accomplished in different communities.
“To my data, that is the one group in Georgia that has an annual prayer breakfast,” mentioned longtime Kiwanis member Samuel Ozburn. “It’s a possibility to assemble collectively, to elevate one another up in prayer. It’s an opportunity to give attention to lifting our church buildings, our authorities, our civic organizations and our professions—not possessions, however professions.”
Following introductions from Rotary President Brad Stewart and Kiwanis President Jimmy Tanner, the ground was handed over to this 12 months’s keynote speaker, Choose Ken Wynne.
Wynne themed this message round two impactful ideas: Love and fact.
“For the previous 37 years I’ve labored within the judicial system,” Wynne mentioned. “As a prosecutor and as a decide, I’ve had a entrance row seat to among the worst issues that individuals can do to 1 one other in our group. I’ve seen evil, however nonetheless, as a result of I do know that God has made us in his picture, I’m satisfied that there’s one thing inside every one in every of us that seeks fact and needs love, each to obtain and to offer it.”
The longtime Newton County decide broached various matters all through his 30-minute speech. This included the political division that has infiltrated all ranges of presidency.
Wynne mentioned that society appeared to have damaged into tribes characterised by ethnicity, political celebration, socioeconomic standing, gender, sexual orientation, oppressed teams and oppressor teams.
“The tribal mindset appears to be prevalent in the present day,” Wynne mentioned. “With this mindset, we see those that disagree with us because the enemy, as an alternative of the picture bearers of God. Worthy of dignity and respect for that area alone. We stand our floor and refuse to hear, preferring as an alternative to cowl our ears, shout them down, name them names, query motives, or if we have now the facility, to silence them altogether.”
As an answer to this, Wynne feels that the world wants extra open dialogue and sincere dialogue to return to God’s fact.
“We have to return to sincere inquiry and civil discourse that’s obligatory to assist all of us get nearer to the reality,” Wynne mentioned. “Not my fact, however the fact that transcends our personal concepts of fine, evil and proper and unsuitable.”
Later in his speech, Wynne addressed what civil discourse appears to be like like. He defined this as not resorting to name-calling, however remaining respectful and empathetic.
“After we do this [name-calling], we have now nothing left to argue, and we’ve misplaced the controversy,” Wynne mentioned. “There are not any losers in debate. There are solely winners in sincere debate, amongst individuals truthfully looking for the reality. As a result of debate is the method of stating a declare, asking and responding to questions on that declare that assist all of us get nearer to the reality and that’s a win. However that requires humility. It requires a real willingness to give up perceived notions, preferences and ideologies in favor of truthfully figuring out the reality.”
One other agency speaking level Wynne addressed is the foundational constructing block that’s the American household. He identified that the crack on this basis has resulted in youngsters shedding their method.
Wynne challenged lawmakers to evaluation insurance policies that will not match the household mannequin.
“In the case of the household, the training system can’t do something about that,” Wynne mentioned. “However the church can. However the authorities and church can work collectively in that regard. If the federal government is selling insurance policies, passing legal guidelines that undermine the soundness of the household, these insurance policies must be reexamined and they should promote insurance policies on legal guidelines which promote the soundness of the household.”
Wynne concluded by posing 4 questions that have been rooted within the spirit of affection and fact.
“What’s good that we are able to protect and promote? What’s evil that we should resist? What’s lacking that we are able to creatively contribute? What’s damaged that we are able to restore?” Wynne requested. “In all of our establishments, training, the enterprise group, our coverage makers, the federal government, the church, the household can cope with these 4 questions. I believe we are able to transfer nearer to a extra simply society.
“By God’s grace, we are able to obtain a extra simply society right here and now in our group.”
A closing parting message was given to the Rotarians, Kiwanians and officers in attendance by Ozburn, reminding everybody what the group ought to try for.
“In conclusion, what do we wish Covington and Newton County to be identified for?” Ozburn mentioned. “It’s going to be identified for one thing. And I hope and pray that this group will probably be often called a group of respect for one another as God’s picture bearers and a widespread love primarily based on the reality.”
