A 500 Families Partner: Christian Business Men’s Connection
Communities benefit when businesses learn from positive, ethical messages
Twenty-three years
By Scott Franko ago, the vision from
a group of Christian
President, US
businessmen in our
Signcrafters
community brought us
and former
the first Community
CBMC chair
Leaders Prayer
Breakfast. Since then
it has become one of
Elkhart’s premiere annual events, bringing messages of
inspiration and encouragement from nationally recognized
personalities.
Mr. Whitacre did the unthinkable when he turned in his
company for major price fixing on an international, multimillion-dollar scale. Mark will share this experience and
how life changed dramatically for him and his wife. He’s
gone from ex-convict to a national speaker on the subject
of transforming a life for the better.
The Christian Business Men’s Connection sponsors the
prayer breakfast. The group has been active in Elkhart
since 1974, and with the leadership of its first chair, Charlie
Miller, the annual event was launched in 1991.
Our event has hosted such former athletes as Clark Kellogg
(Ohio State University and the Indiana Pacers), Heisman
Trophy winner Tim Brown (Notre Dame), and Hall of Famer
Mike Singletary (Chicago Bears), along with legendary
coaches Bobby Bowden, Tony Dungy and Joe Gibbs.
“It was evident that a Community Leader’s Prayer Breakfast
would be welcomed by our area businesses, professionals,
and community leaders,” Miller said. “The support was
overwhelming from the very beginning, which evidenced
the moral and ethical interest of our leaders for this
community.”
Other speakers have come from outside of sports: Sen. Bill
Armstrong, Adolf Coors IV, Vice President Dan Quayle, Lt.
Col. Oliver North, and Lt. Col. Steve Russell, who told of his
experiences on the hunt and capture of Saddam Hussein in Iraq.
Kent Yoder followed Miller as chair for many years. He was
quick to point out how nothing like this can happen without
good leaders on the CLPB committee - people like Bill Miller,
Dan Morrsion, Vince Turner and Brett Yoder, Kent’s son.
Mark Whitacre will be the featured speaker at next month’s
event. Who’s Mark Whitacre and why would you want to
hear his story? Well, Hollywood doesn’t make feature films
on just anybody.
“Many businessmen have come to Christ because of
CBMC,” said Kent Yoder. “We have seen more businesses,
professions and marriages prosper and thrive through
biblical principles taught through CBMC programs.”
Mark was a Fortune 500 executive at Archer Daniels Midland
who became a star witness for the FBI – Matt Damon
portrayed Mark in the 2009 movie, “The Informant.”
For information on the Christian Business Men’s Connection
and the July 10 prayer breakfast event at Memorial High
School, visit CBMCelkhart.com.
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