Sunday, August 16, 1998

Motivational speaker comes to Abilene

By LORETTA FULTON

Senior Staff Writer

A bit of luck and a dash of prayer helped attract an internationally known entrepreneur and motivational speaker to Abilene and Stamford next week.

Peter J. Daniels, president and founder of World Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies in Adelaide, Australia, will be at Wylie United Methodist Church, 3130 Antilley, at 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and at St. John's UMC in Stamford at 6 p.m. Friday. Admission is free.

The luck involved in the process came when Andy Holloway and Eddie Hodges of Abilene were attending a Robert Schuller conference in California last March.

At the end of his presentation, Daniels said he wanted to speak at more churches across the United States, and he invited the 8,000 people at the conference to drop a request in a box.

Two weeks later Daniels called Holloway, said the Rev. David Ray, pastor of Wylie UMC.

He told Holloway, "I've been praying over these," Ray said.

Holloway has friends at Wylie UMC as well, and Daniels decided to speak at both churches.

Ray said he has seen a video of Daniels speaking on a television show he dubbed a "South African Oprah Winfrey" program and that he was very impressive.

Daniels' rise to fame and fortune began during a 1959 Billy Graham Crusade in Australia. Having failed every grade in school, at age 26 Daniels was practically illiterate and worked as a bricklayer.

Following his commitment of faith during the Billy Graham crusade, Daniels began studying, absorbing and experiencing first-hand the field of business. He went on to become an author, multi-millionaire and one of the highest paid public speakers in the world.

His corporate holdings are scattered over 100 countries, and he is an international director for Robert Schuller Ministries and Youth for Christ.

Daniels' message is simple.

"You need to dream! Dreaming is not a waste of time. God would not give you a dream without the capacity to fulfill that dream," he says in his promotional literature.

Daniels has amassed a fortune in his lifetime and is involved in Christian outreach in many countries. He has been honored by universities, institutions and governments for his benevolence internationally.