OUR HISTORY

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The Beginning

The vision for what became the Appalachia Prayer Coalition was birthed out of a season of prayer and revival that Christ Community Church (formerly New Life Church) experienced in 2017.

This season began with 40 days of Fasting and Prayer, with different people taking turns fasting each day of the week, and everyone praying at least an hour every day.   We were preparing our hearts for revival.   

This lead to 50 days of revival and outreach beginning on Easter. We experienced the leading and work of the Holy Spirit, both individually and corporately, in ways that we never had. 

Toward the end of the revival season, we began to sense the Lord leading us to spend time in corporate prayer, the ten days leading up to Pentecost Sunday.  For those 10 days, the church was open for prayer from 6:00 pm to midnight.  We spent time tarrying in the Presence of God for as long as we could each day. 

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At the end of this time, we felt the leading of the Holy Spirit to create a place "where the flame of intercession will never go out in Appalachia."   The vision for the Appalachia Prayer Center was birthed.  On August 27, 2017, the vision was launched publicly. 

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Expanding the Vision

In 2018, at the Lord’s direction, we began forming relationships with other people of prayer. Our focus was on seeing revival sweep from New York through Alabama and into Mississippi, covering the entire Appalachian Mountain Range. We began building connections with people of prayer in these states, going wherever we were sent.

As part of this vision, we formed the West Virginia Prayer Alliance, organizing the state of WV into ten prayer regions, uniting every county in prayer. This effort culminated in a statewide Prayer event in Charleston, WV in September 2018, where representatives from each county gathered on the steps of the state capitol to pray for our state. It was a powerful moment of unity and intercession, demonstrating our commitment to seeing transformation across the region. Our reach continued to grow, and in August 2022, we hosted a regional gathering in Charleston, WV, bringing together prayer representatives from all 12 Appalachian states.

From Prayer Center to Prayer Coalition

Over the past several years, our emphasis has intentionally shifted from being solely a center of prayer to becoming a coalition of prayer—a connected network of praying people, churches, and ministries. This coalition represents a collective effort to see revival sweep across Appalachia.   While we still maintain a prayer center in Jesse, WV, in partnership with Christ Community Church, our broader focus is now on fostering unity and revival across Appalachia and the world.

The 423 Prayer Initiative: A Vision for Regional Revival

To advance this vision, we launched the 423 Prayer Initiative. This initiative seeks to identify a county representative, or “connector,” in each of Appalachia’s 423 counties. These connectors unite people within their communities to pray and contend for revival, building a prayer network that spans the Appalachian region. Through this initiative, we aim to bring people together in a common pursuit of authentic revival, laying the groundwork for lasting transformation.

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