SACRAMENTO, Calif., April 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, President of The National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (www.nhclc.org), also known as The Hispanic National Association of Evangelicals, the nation's largest Christian Hispanic organization, attended, by personal invitation, President Obama's Easter Prayer Breakfast in the East Room of The White House on April 19, 2011.

President Obama hosted what he called the "second annual" Easter Prayer Breakfast and said he wants to make it a permanent part of White House life. "I'm going to make it annual," Obama told Christian leaders and distinguished guests from across the country gathered in the East Room.

The President said, "That as busy as we are, as many tasks as pile up, during this season we are reminded that there is something about the resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ, that puts everything else in perspective. Everybody in this room has weighty responsibilities from leading churches and denominations to helping to administer important government programs to shaping our cultures in various ways and I admit that my plate has been full as well. But then comes Holy Week and we are reminded that Jesus took on the sins of this world–past, present and future. And Jesus offered us His unfathomable grace. This magnificent grace, this expansive grace, this amazing grace causes me to reflect, to pray, to ask God for forgiveness for the times that I've not shown grace to others, causes me to praise God for the gift of His son and our Savior and that is why we have this breakfast because in the middle of critical national debates, in the middle of our busy lives we must always make sure that we are keeping things in perspective. I'm honored that you have all come here this Holy Week to join me in a spirit of prayer and I pray that this time here in prayer would strengthen us both individually as believers and as Americans."

Rev. Rodriguez said, "To have the President of the United States celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ stands as a powerful testimony both domestically and abroad of a faith narrative that permeates the American experience. I commend the President for celebrating the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and calling us to serve with love, in unity and humility."

President Obama made these comments to a gathering of Christian leaders, members of his administration and at least one member of Congress gathered in the White House including Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the NHCLC, Bryant Wright, the Southern Baptist Convention president, Andy Stanley, pastor of North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Ga., and Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals and other distinguished Christian leaders from around the United States.

The National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference is the Hispanic National Association of Evangelicals unifying, serving and representing the Hispanic Born Again Community via 34,200 member churches and 20 million constituents by reconciling the vertical and horizontal of the Christian message through the 7 Directives of Life, Family, Great Commission, Stewardship, Justice, Education and Youth. 

SOURCE The National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference