Our History
The College of Prayer was born with a vision to mentor pastors and leaders to reach a lost world through a revived church. Armin Gesswein, called by many "the father of the modern prayer movement," was the one who planted this vision in Fred Hartley, and in the three other initial leaders of the College of Prayer, Don Young, Bruce Bliss, and Paul Radford.
1996
The College of Prayer was officially born in 1997 at One Mission Church (formerly Lilburn Alliance Church). It was born in the church, and for the church. Every College of Prayer gathering and resource is designed to build Christ-encountering prayer and Holy Spirit revival in the life of the local church.
1997
When the College of Prayer Leadership Team met for our 2020 Vision Summit in May 2020, God told us in the next 5 years to take the College of Prayer to every nation on earth and every state in the U.S. At the time we were in 78 nations serving a few million pastors and leaders. By the grace of Christ, today the College of Prayer has been taught in every nation on earth, serving 93 million pastors and leaders. All glory to Christ!
2025
About Us
The mission of the College of Prayer is to mentor pastors and leaders who will reach a lost world through a revived church. We now serve a growing movement that is readying the church for the return of Christ.
The College of Prayer has decentralized its operation. We are no longer served by a team in Atlanta, but by a vast team in virtually every nation of the world. We have become far more an organism than an organization. We are more about the wine and less about the wine skin. We operate out of kingdom relationships of trust, respect, and empowerment, not rigid report guidelines or control. This second wave of the movement is far more fluid, dynamic, and Holy Spirit-generated.
Our Story
The College of Prayer was founded in 1997 by Rev. Fred Hartley and three other pastors who were mentored by Rev. Armin Gesswein. Today it has become a movement that exists to mentor pastors and leaders to reach a lost world to reach a lost world through a revived church. By the grace of Christ, we are currently serving pastors and churches in every nation on earth, and in many territories. We have trained more than 100 million pastors and leaders, who are now teaching our curriculum to their people. All glory to Christ!
