History

How did a New York City news reporter end up founding a teacher prayer ministry in Chicago? In one word: God. After graduating from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and spending six years as a reporter for publications including People, Time, Newsday and The Journal News, Marilyn Rhames knew that God was calling her to do something more. She returned to her Chicago hometown in 2002, and earned a master’s degree in teaching from National Louis University in 2004. A prayer ministry was planted in Marilyn’s heart later that year when she got her first classroom.

She faced many challenges. Her answer was prayer.

In 2003, the idea of Teachers Who Pray was born. Marilyn gave TWP its name in 2007, and officially incorporated it in 2011. A secular nonprofit gave her seed funding in 2017. God took His time forming Teachers Who Pray. For Marilyn, some days it felt like a pipe dream. But through it all, she learned to trust in Jesus!

TWP’s spiritual movement to transform schools from the inside out has taken place! Literally, it is a dream come true!

– Marilyn Rhames, Teachers Who Pray Founder