Sabine Valley Association Holds Second Annual Men’s Prayer Breakfast

The Sabine Valley Missionary Baptist District Association held its second annual men’s prayer breakfast Saturday, Aug. 8, at the Taylor Tabernacle Fellowship Hall in San Augustine, bringing together about 30 men for prayer, fellowship and a challenge to put their faith into action.

Among those attending were Pastors Fred Dade, Tim Teel, Daniel Holman, Anthony Jackson, and Anthony Q. Brooks, along with other ministers, deacons and men from churches throughout the area.

Brother Tony Grimes served as master of ceremonies for the breakfast, guiding the morning’s program of prayer, fellowship and the keynote address.

The program included dedicated prayers for the City of San Augustine, San Augustine County, area schools and the world.

The keynote speaker was Rev. Amos Horton Sr., pastor of Reed Chapel Baptist Church and moderator of the association. Drawing primarily from the story of Gideon in Judges Chapters 6 through 8, Horton challenged the men to trust God even when the task before them appears difficult or the resources available seem inadequate.

“Brothers, we have a dilemma today,” Horton said. “And if we look at it from the natural, it looks like destruction, like it’s almost impossible to do.”

Horton traced Gideon’s journey from uncertainty to leadership. Although God had assured Gideon that He was with him, Gideon initially questioned whether he was capable of carrying out the assignment.

Horton said Christians sometimes respond in much the same way.

“God just told us we can do it,” he said, “and then we spend the next few minutes saying why we can’t.”

He warned the men against becoming overly concerned with titles and positions, saying that a person’s relationship with God is more important than status.

“A lot of us go on our status instead of our relationship,” Horton said.

As Horton moved into the seventh chapter of Judges, he focused on God reducing Gideon’s army from 32,000 men to only 300 before sending them into battle. He related the story to churches and organizations that sometimes become discouraged because they believe they lack enough people or resources to accomplish meaningful work.

“The church is in a ‘we don’t have enough,’” Horton said. “Well, I always say we might not, but we got what God wants us to have right now.”

He followed that observation with a practical challenge.

“If you don’t think you got enough, go get some more,” Horton said. “Quit telling God what you don’t have. Use what you got.”

Horton described the first reduction of Gideon’s army as a test of honesty, noting that those who were fearful were allowed to return home. He told the gathering that honesty about one’s abilities and readiness can itself be important.

“Sometimes honesty is the first step,” he said.

The second test, Horton said, involved faith and trust. Ultimately, only 300 men remained to face an enemy vastly larger and better equipped.

Horton emphasized throughout the message that faith and trust, although closely related, are not necessarily the same.

“Faith brings us to the fight,” he said. “Trust gets us through the fight.”

He added, “Faith got me there. But I need some trust to get through.”

The account of Gideon, Horton said, also demonstrates the importance of having dependable people around you.

“We need to have people around us that are ready, that are trustworthy, that are dependable,” he told the men.

Horton cautioned against concluding that everyone must serve in exactly the same way. After Gideon’s initial victory, other Israelites who had not participated in the first attack were called upon to help pursue the fleeing enemy.

Horton used that portion of the story to make one of his central points of the morning.

“Everybody can’t do the same thing, but everybody can do something,” he said.

He compared those differing responsibilities to the work of churches and associations, where some people may preach or lead publicly while others perform less visible but equally necessary duties.

“Somebody got to wash the dishes,” Horton said, drawing a practical example from the breakfast itself. “The cleanup crew is just as important.”

Horton also encouraged the men not to become discouraged by small numbers. Recalling something he had recently heard, he told the gathering, “If you’re not weak enough to preach to 30, you’ll never be strong enough to preach to 300.”

He urged churches to be faithful with the people they already have and to trust God for growth.

“Take what you got,” Horton said. “Do what you can do.”

Near the conclusion of his message, Horton returned to the importance of trust. He reminded the men that people who may someday become workers, leaders and supporters of the church are still outside its walls.

“When you need a lieutenant, God got a lieutenant,” he said. “When you need a captain, God got a captain. Whatever you need, God got it.”

He closed by reminding the gathering where the ultimate responsibility for the struggle rests.

“We got to have trust in Him,” Horton said, “because this battle ain’t ours.”

Association President Brother Lewis Malone, who helped establish the annual breakfast last year, thanked the men for attending and encouraged them to continue supporting the gathering in the years ahead.

He urged Christian men to become more involved and to strengthen their relationship with God.

“Men, we need to stand up and be counted,” Malone said.

He also called upon the men to remember the needs around them in prayer, including their schools, community, children, governmental leaders and the wider world.

“Let us all remember to pray for one another,” Malone said. “Pray for our schools. Pray for our community. Pray for our world.”

The annual breakfast continues an initiative begun in 2025 under Malone’s leadership as president of the association, with the gathering intended to strengthen fellowship among men in the district and encourage greater participation in church and community life.

Founded in 1875, the Sabine Valley Missionary Baptist District Association unites predominantly Black Baptist churches in the San Augustine area to pool resources for religious, educational and charitable causes. Taylor Tabernacle, built in the 1940s, continues to serve as a central meeting place for association activities.