Christians in Sport is marking its 50th anniversary this week, celebrating five decades of supporting athletes, coaches and officials to live out their Christian faith within the sporting world.
The UK-based charity supports, trains and connects sportspeople at all levels, from amateurs to professionals, helping them integrate faith with competition and leadership.
The organisation was founded in 1976 after a small group of Christians involved in professional tennis began meeting to pray and share their vision for faith in sport.
BBC tennis commentator Gerald Williams met Rev Alan Godson at a tournament in the early 1970s, beginning his own journey to faith. Williams was later introduced to an American sports evangelist by Wimbledon champion Stan Smith. Businessman Kenneth Frampton, a tennis enthusiast, also played a key role in convening early meetings of Christian sportspeople in 1975 and 1976.
United by their involvement in sport, the group committed to praying for five specific goals and envisioned a network that would unite and encourage Christians across the sporting world.
Laura Murdoch of Christians in Sport told Premier how the movement began:
“50 years ago, a group of Christians who were passionate about sport sat down and wrote five prayers, no organization, no staff, team or structure, but a conviction that God cares about sport. And it is from that meeting that the movement began.
“It has been a real privilege and humbling for us to reflect on the Lord's kindness in answering some of those early prayers.
“These people saw those sporting gifts and talents as something from God, that perhaps rather than feeling that they had to give them up to be serious in their Christian faith, that perhaps that was part of God's plan, for them to disciple in the world of sport, that they might reach others in the world of sport and be a presence for Jesus in the world of sport. That has now grown and of course, we know so many Christian men and women, boys and girls, who are following the Lord Jesus in their sport and really having an impact for him. It's wonderful.”
The charity says it now supports more than 10,000 Christians in sport, with over 1,000 sports leaders equipped through its programmes. It also reports that 80,000 people have heard the gospel in the past two years through events run in partnership with churches.
Christians in Sport works with local sporting ministries in around 150 countries worldwide.