The Breakfast will Feature Gospel Icon Shirley Caesar and Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie

NASHVILLE, TN / ACCESS Newswire / July 2, 2026 / The National Bar Association (NBA) invites attendees to begin the week in faith and fellowship at the Annual Senator Arthenia Joyner Prayer Breakfast, held Sunday, July 26 from 8:00 AM-9:15 AM during the NBA's 101st Annual Convention in Nashville. The prayer breakfast will feature gospel icon Shirley Caesar and Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, President and General Secretary of the National Council of Churches and the first woman elected bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

This year's convention theme, The Rhythm of Excellence: The Power of Promise, The Energy of Now, underscores the NBA's commitment to service and purpose. The Prayer Breakfast will set a reflective and energizing tone for the week, bringing together attorneys, judges, law students, and civic leaders to renew their commitment to justice, community, and stewardship.

"Faith and fellowship have long been at the heart of the National Bar Association's gatherings," said NBA President Ashley L. Upkins. "As we prepare for a week of hard work and important conversation in Nashville, the Prayer Breakfast offers a chance to recommit to service - to one another and to the communities we represent. I am honored Pastor Shirley Caesar and Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie will lead us into a week centered on purpose and collective action."

Named in honor of Senator Arthenia Joyner's legacy of public service and advocacy, the NBA Prayer Breakfast is an annual tradition that brings spiritual leaders and legal professionals together to reflect on ethical leadership and community responsibility. This ticketed event is open to convention registrants and guests with separate registration.

For further information, or to register for the convention or Prayer Breakfast, please visit: https://events.nationalbar.org/nashville/

About The National Bar Association

Founded in 1925, the National Bar Association was established at a time when Black lawyers were excluded from membership in the American Bar Association. Now marking over 100 years of service, the NBA has grown into a global organization with more than 60,000 members, affiliates, and supporters. For more than a century, the NBA has been at the forefront of advancing civil rights, judicial independence, professional excellence, and equal access to justice in the United States and abroad.

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SOURCE: National Bar Association