OUR VISION & BOARD

MISSION OF INTERCESSORS FOR AMERICA:
Uniting Believers in Effective Prayer and Fasting for America.

 
Walking out the vision
of America's Christian founders . . .

"I have often said it would be a thing very desirable, and very likely to be followed with a great blessing, if there could be some contrivance, that there should be an agreement of all God's people in America... to keep a Day of Fasting and Prayer to God; wherein, we should all unite on the same day... It seems to me, it would mightily encourage and animate God's saints, in humbly and earnestly seeking God, for such blessings which concerns them all; and that it would be much for the rejoicing of all, to think, that at the same time such multitudes of God's dear children, far and near, were sending up their cries to the same common Father for the same motives."

- Jonathan Edwards, 1742

 PRINCIPLES

INTERCESSORS FOR AMERICA is a 501 (c)(3) tax exempt, non-profit Christian ministry founded in 1973 which serves the Church of Jesus Christ by encouraging effective prayer and fasting for the Church, our nation, and their leaders. To that end we:
  • Glorify Jesus Christ, seek to edify the Church and extend God's kingdom on earth;
  • Serve and build working relationships with local churches and their leaders;
  • Partner with and complement other prayer ministries and like-minded organizations;
  • Speak prophetically -- sound the trumpet -- concerning biblical moral issues;
  • Adhere to biblical principles and godly conduct in all that we do;
  • Carefully steward the resources entrusted to us;
  • Stay modest in regards to structure, facilities and programs.

Our Programs
 


IFA Board of Directors
 

Officers
John Beckett has served as chairman of the Board of Directors since 1988 and as president of Intercessors for America from 1976 to 1988. He is an original board member. He is also the chairman of R.W. Beckett Corp, a worldwide leader in the manufacturing and sales of engineered components for residential and commercial heating.  A 1960 graduate from M.I.T., he joined his father in the small family-owned business in 1963 and became president in 1965 after his father’s death. The company, with its affiliates, currently has sales exceeding $100 million and more than 700 employees.  Mr. Beckett also is a founding board member of The King’s College in New York City, serves on the Board of Campus Crusade for Christ, International, and is a director of Graphic Packaging Corporation, a NYSE-listed manufacturing company.  He has long been active in church and community-related activities and an advocate for integrating faith into the workplace. He has written two books about the subject, Loving Monday: Succeeding in Business Without Selling Your Soul (published in 1998 and currently available in 14 languages) and Mastering Monday: A Guide to Integrating Faith and Work (published in 2006). He has been named "Christian Businessman of   the Year” by Christian Broadcasting Network (1999) and manufacturing “Entrepreneur of the Year” by Ernst & Young (2003). Mr. Beckett has also received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Spring Arbor University (2002) and The King’s College (2008). He and his wife, Wendy, reside in Elyria, OH and have six children and fifteen grandchildren. Visit www.beckettcorp.com.
 

Gary Bergel has served as president of Intercessors for America since 1988. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, he has worked with IFA in various capacities since its founding in 1973. In 1985, Mr. Bergel became executive director and the IFA national offices were moved to the Washington, DC area. He stands as a spiritual “watchman” in the ministry, writes for the monthly First Friday Newsletter, and speaks at conferences and prayer seminars. He authored and designed the full-color dual booklet, When You Were Formed in Secret/Abortion in America, first published by IFA in 1980 with over 3 million copies distributed.  The booklet, which contains remarks by former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop, Dr. James Dobson and prominent African American leaders, Dr. Mildred Jefferson and Kay Cole James, has been released in Hebrew, Russian, Spanish, German, Canadian, Australian and Arabic versions and is being readied for publication in the Middle East.  Mr. Bergel serves on the executive level of the National Prayer Committee and chairs the Prayer Committee of Prison Fellowship’s Operation Starting Line. He is a member of the National Network of Youth Ministries, the National Committee of Mission America, the 2008 Advisory Committee for TheCall, DC, and the Editorial Advisory Board for the Pray! Magazine.  Mr. Bergel also partners with evangelists, pastors, church planters, ministry and political leaders, as well as community development teams in Israel, the Middle East, Haiti, West Africa, and the U.S. He and his wife, Susan, reside near Leesburg, VA and have ten children, including two adopted daughters, and ten grandchildren.  
 
Cort Randell serves as secretary for the Board of Directors. Mr. Randell is an experienced entrepreneur.  He has founded a number of successful businesses, including the National Student Marketing Corporation and the Federal News Service in 1985 which grew to the fourth largest newswire in the U.S.  He and his wife, Joan, reside in Fairfax, Virginia.


 
Jeffrey Coors serves as treasurer for the Board of Directors, Intercessors for America.  A graduate from Cornell University with a B.S. (1967) and M.A. (1968) in Chemical Engineering, Mr. Coors is chairman of Fiskeby Holdings US LLC, which operates a paper mill in Norrköping, Sweden.  He retired as executive vice chairman of Graphic Packaging Corporation (NYSE: GPK) at the end of 2007 after serving as executive chairman from August 2003 until July 2006.  Mr. Coors was chairman, president and CEO of Graphic Packaging International from 1997 to 2003.  He was also CEO of its predecessor company, ACX Technologies, from its inception in 1992.  Prior to ACX, Mr. Coors enjoyed a 25 year career with Adolph Coors Company which encompassed a broad range of management responsibilities, including board member (1975-1992), president (1983-1988) and chairman and CEO of Coors Technology Companies (1986-1992).  Throughout his career, Mr. Coors has taken an active role in civic, educational and business organizations and also serves on the boards of Free Congress Foundation, Mercy Ships, John Hopkins Medicine Board of Advisors, Hillsdale College, Independence Institute, and the Adolph Coors and Castle Rock Foundations.  He is past chairman of the Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry.  He and his wife, Lis, reside in Golden, CO and have six children and eight grandchildren. Visit  www.graphicpkg.com .
 

Board Members
Warren Black is presently involved in an outreach ministry of evangelism and healing in speaking and writing.  Mr. Black previously served as the Regional Field Director with the Christian Broadcasting Network (700 Club) phone counseling centers for the western United States and Hawaii. He resides with his wife, Shirley, in Kansas City, MO.

 

Dr. Lee Corder is the senior vice president for Young Life International Division in the northern hemisphere. For 20 years, he was Senior Chaplain for the NFL’s Washington Redskins and is now Chaplain Emeritus. In the past, Dr. Corder has served Young Life as U.S. senior vice president, international director overseeing Europe and Africa, regional director of the Commonwealth region, and area director in both Maryland and Virginia.  His education includes graduation from the University of Virginia with a B.A. in Government, a Masters of Divinity degree from Fuller Theological Seminary, and a Doctorate of Ministry from Columbia Seminary.  Dr. Corder is ordained in the Presbyterian Church (USA). He and his wife, Paula, have four children and live in Arlington, Virginia. Visit his work: http://sites.younglife.org/sites/internationalnorth/default.aspx
 
Sally Fesperman and her husband, Jay, founded a full-time ministry in 1970, the Inn of Last Resort/Christian Training Center International (CTCI). They operated it together until Jay’s death in 1992. Sally has remained actively involved in the ministry and serves with Larry and Susan Pons in overseeing CTCI’s programs and outreach. She also serves on the Board of Directors of Derek Prince Ministries International and Intercessors for America.

 

Guy Kump and his wife, Anita, relocated their residence and base of ministry from Switzerland to Jerusalem, Israel in 2003. God has placed them as watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem (Isaiah 62:6-7) and called them to proclaim His prophetic Word to the nations (Jeremiah 31:10).  The Kumps serve on the leadership team of Succat Hallel (Tabernacle of Praise), a 24/7 center of praise, prayer, and proclamation patterned after the tabernacle of David (1 Chronicles 16, Amos 9:11-15). They are actively involved with Intercessors for Israel where Rev. Kump serves as the only Gentile on the Board of Directors. He has traveled internationally for more than twenty years to pray, proclaim, and preach from the prophetic Word of God under the ministry of Prayer International. He was the pastor of a church in Elyria, Ohio (1985-2001) and formerly the executive director of Intercessors for America (1976-1985).
 

David “Mac” McQuiston is one of the few people of our time who has had the opportunity not only to witness the development of some of the greatest institutions of our time, but to be a pivotal part of that growth as well.  Since his graduation from Indiana Wesleyan University in 1965, Mr. McQuiston has been involved in World Wide Pictures in association with Billy Graham.  He has served as Senior Vice President of Insight for Living, one of today’s most recognized worldwide ministries, established by Chuck Swindoll.  In addition, he has served as Senior Vice President of Development for Walk Thru the Bible Ministries, another of today’s foremost discipleship ministries. The centerpiece of his notable career in ministry has been Focus on the Family.  Today Focus on the Family is arguably the world’s most widely recognized family ministry.  The Focus on the Family daily broadcast is heard on almost 2,000 U.S. radio affiliates and dozens more world wide, reaching hundreds of millions every week.  Since Focus’ unassuming beginnings in 1977, Mr. McQuiston has been a key participant in the growth of this international ministry. He began work with Focus at its inception in 1977.  He began as one of the original board members and was a signatory of the Focus on the Family incorporation.  He later became Vice President of Administration and Development.  Mr. McQuiston was key in the launch of Dr. James Dobson’s City Wide Seminars in 1977 and Dr. Dobson’s first film series in 1978. In June of 2005 the CEO Forum became its own entity after spending ten years as a division of Focus on the Family.  He serves as CEO/President.  The CEO Forum serves to advance the kingdom of God through the development of spiritual statesmen, among senior executives of major corporations, through education, mentoring and “safe relationships” among peers.  Participants of the Forum include CEOs of Fortune 1000 companies. He and his wife, Karen, reside in Colorado Springs, CO and have two daughters and four grandchildren.
 

Jeremy Story is the president of Campus Renewal Ministries, a national and international ministry serving as a catalyst to convene students and college ministers in united prayer and action to transform college campuses and students. A proud graduate of the University of Texas, God gave him this vision while he was a student. Over the past twelve years, he has traveled across the nation to forty states and five continents to work with, encourage, and train Christian ministry and church leaders on college campuses. God has given him a strong desire for mobilizing prayer movements, college students, simple church planting and uniting Christian leaders.  Mr. Story is well versed in church history, revival history, and transformational stories of what God is currently doing across the world. He and his wife, Jenny, reside in Manhattan Island, New York City, NY, and have five children.  Visit www.campusrenewal.org.
 

Larry Tomczak is an apostolic leader and evangelist with 35 years of ministry experience. He led People of Destiny International (now under a different ministry name and leadership), a pioneering church planting movement which has established almost 60 churches in the U.S. and abroad. Mr. Tomczak was editor of People of Destiny magazine and his books include the quarter-million best seller, Clap Your Hands, Church Planters Handbook (co-author), Divine Appointments and Reckless Abandon. He was an instructor at the Brownsville Revival School of Ministry and former senior pastor at Christ the King Church of Atlanta which recently was turned over to his son. Mr. Tomczak serves as director of International Evangelism, Church-planting and Prayer (ICECAP), a ministry that equips Christians in New Testament evangelism and church-planting, fueled by prayer, through instruction, mentoring and application so graduates return to their "home base" inspired and prepared for effective ministry. He and his wife, Doris, have four children and reside near Nashville, TN. Visit www.larrytomczak.com.
 

John Talcott, Jr. recently celebrated his 100th birthday. He served as founding president for Intercessors for America.  Mr. Talcott is a board member of Ocean Spray Cranberry and the founder of the Plymouth Rock Foundation, an organization instrumental in preserving, propagating and understanding the significance of the Pilgrim story and its legacy throughout America’s rich Christian heritage. In l970-71, he also served as the chairman of the Anniversary Committee for the town of Plymouth when it celebrated the 350th anniversary since the landing of the Pilgrims. Mr. Talcott has residences in Plymouth, MA and Boca Raton, FL. Visit www.plymrock.org
 

 

Retired

Jimmy Owens and his wife are among the pioneers of Contemporary Christian Music and the modern worship movement. They are Grammy and Dove nominated composers of some 250 published and recorded songs, including 12 musicals. Mr. and Mrs. Owens are the founders of the School of Music Ministries International. Like their earlier well-known works, If My People and Come Together, an intercessory cantata, Heal Our Land, has been performed in many city-wide events and widely embraced by the church in many nations. They have recently published the book, “Restoring a Nation’s Foundation” that is available through IFA’s eBookstore. Before specializing with his wife in songwriting and teaching, Mr. Owens was a church minister of music and an arranger/conductor for two TV series and many albums on most major Christian labels. He and his wife, Carol, currently reside in Costa Mesa, California. Visit www. jimmyandcarolowens.com.
 

John Heard served as Treasurer of the IFA Board.  A lawyer, certified public accountant, and former Tax Section Chairman of the State Bar of Texas, Mr. Heard was Law Partner with the firm of Vinson and Elkins from 1952-86.  He is also a Board member of Derek Prince Ministries International.  He and his wife, Joanna, reside in Houston, Texas.


 

 

Founding Board Members – Deceased


Derek Prince

Rev. Ern Baxter


Mr. Jay Fesperman

Mr. George Gillies

Our Statement of Faith

The Apostles’ Creed*

I believe in God the Father Almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried;
He descended into hell; the third day He rose again
from the dead; He ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic** Church;
the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins;
the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. AMEN.

* The Apostles’ Creed is the most widely used creed in Christian churches.
It was compiled between the second and ninth centuries from ancient question
and answer confessions of faith which the early Church used with baptismal candidates.

** "catholic" refers to all authentic believers and followers of Christ, the Church universal,
not only the Roman Catholic Church.

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PO Box 915, Purcellville, VA 20134 ~ Tel 540-751-0980 ~ Fax 540-751-0984
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