Photo: Ben Grisamore, a member of First UMC in Wichita, Kans., answers a prayer request on a remote line of the Upper Room Prayer Center during the National Gathering of UM Men in Nashville.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. –– Only one person now staffs the Upper Room Prayer Center, but during 2010, 2,000 groups of UM Men and others have volunteered to operate remote call centers where prayer requests are answered.

Migdiel Pérez, manager of the Nashville-based prayer center, says 25.000 calls are received through the toll-free number each month and 8,000 monthly prayer requests are entered at the website.

“We have noticed a decrease in call volume, possibly related to the loss of our night staff, and the frustration of calling after hours and not getting a live person,” said Pérez in a report to the General Commission on United Methodist Men.

The UM Men Foundation pays the cost of the toll-free phone line which averages about $22,000 annually.

Pérez says there are also 31 prayer partners who respond to prayer requests by phone or internet; 26 are located in the United States, one in Canada, one in the Caribbean, two in Africa and one in China.

Contact Pérez for information about operating a remote call center or establishing a prayer-partner group (mperz@upperoom.org) (877-899-2780, ext. 7215).