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General news and information about Soccer Chaplains United including newly formed partnerships, news on the different teams and communities being served, and upcoming events for donors, partners, and communities.

World Cup Finishes! Nations and Devotions Campaign Concludes

Hello friends. With the conclusion of the World Cup and the Nations and Devotions campaign, we are going to keep the prize registration open until August 11. Please use the link below to get to the page where you can fill out the form and let us know how you participated in our campaign.

The Nations and Devotions Prayer Challenge page has more details and information.

Thanks for praying for the nations with us during the World Cup. We hope you enjoyed the tournament!

Soccer Chaplains United has created a number of commemorative stickers for this edition of the World Cup — featuring words inspired by Psalm 23. “The Lord is my Coach” in several different languages, helps to remind athletes, coaches, and fans of the Beautiful Game about the way that God takes care of His people. Above are the collectibles for the year.

Miller to Close Down Chaplaincy with Folding Zephyr

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For volunteer chaplain Amy Miller, the final days of Spokane Zephyr FC are about more than the closing of a professional soccer club. They are about honoring people, holding grief, and faithfully walking with players, coaches, staff, and supporters as a meaningful chapter in Spokane women’s sports comes to an end.

Spokane Zephyr FC announced in May that it would not continue operating a professional women’s team beyond the 2025/26 season. The news brought sadness across the Inland Northwest, especially because the Zephyr represented Spokane’s first professional women’s soccer club and a visible sign of possibility for girls, families, and fans who wanted to see women compete at the highest levels of the sport.

For Amy, just completing her second year as volunteer chaplain to the team, the chaplaincy in this season has meant staying present when answers are limited and emotions are raw. The end of a team can feel like a death in the sporting world. Players lose not only a jersey and a workplace, but also teammates, routines, dreams, and a community that had formed around them. Staff members lose daily purpose and relationships. Fans lose a gathering place. Young girls lose a local example of what they might one day become.

Reports around the team’s closure have described many different feelings of frustration, confusion, and sadness. Players learned the team was being disbanded after the season, and supporters expressed disappointment that a city which had celebrated professional women’s soccer would no longer have this team to rally around. Even the club’s own statement acknowledged the energy, belief, and support that helped bring professional women’s soccer to life in Spokane.

In moments like these, chaplaincy becomes a ministry of presence. Amy’s role is not to fix the business realities or explain every decision. It is to listen, pray, encourage, and remind people that their value is not measured by whether a club continues. Wins, losses, contracts, and seasons may end, but the dignity of each person remains.

As Spokane Zephyr FC folds, Amy Miller’s faithful work is to help see out the chaplaincy with care and compassion. She stands in the space between gratitude and grief: grateful for what the Zephyr meant, saddened by what is being lost, and hopeful that the seeds planted through this team will continue to bear fruit in Spokane’s soccer community for years to come.

“It has been an incredible joy and privilege to serve the Zephyr team and organization these past two years. I will deeply miss our weekly coffee hangs and bible study—walking life together. I am inspired by their love for Jesus and one another—and even more so in how they carried themselves through this season of abrupt transition and loss. Couldn’t be prouder of the resiliency and grace exemplified in these women.”

Amy, on seeing the end of her ministry to Zephyr FC

Amy will continue to be available to support athletes, coaches, and staff as some scatter to new opportunities while others remain in Spokane and begin life anew. She will step to the side with Soccer Chaplains United — hopeful that a new chapter might begin but faithful to see this current one to completion.

Soccer Chaplains United is non-profit, 501(c)3 and depends upon the financial support of our partners to carry out our work of developing chaplaincy across all levels of soccer. Please consider making a contribution today to help us continue growing our chaplains and our work. Click the link below to make a gift or check out our Donate page for different giving options.

World Cup is in One Week! Nations and Devotions Prayer to Begin

Next week, June 11, is the highly anticipated start of the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup. Mexico faces off against South Africa at the famous Estadio Azteca at 3:00 pm ET. To commemorate the tournament this year, Soccer Chaplains United has created a ‘pray and post’ campaign — encouraging supporters and followers of the ministry and lovers of soccer and Jesus everywhere to pray for the different nations that are playing in the tournament.

Soccer Chaplains United has created a number of commemorative stickers for this edition of the World Cup — featuring words inspired by Psalm 23. “The Lord is my Coach” in several different languages, helps to remind athletes, coaches, and fans of the Beautiful Game about the way that God takes care of His people. Below are the collectibles for this year:

To participate, people need to follow the From the Touchline and then pray and post with our daily short features. There are other ways to collect stickers and be entered to win prizes — check out our Nations and Devotions Prayer Challenge page for more details and information.

Consider praying and participating with us and enjoy the World Cup!

Nations and Devotions: Local Church Sponsors Books for Dordt Soccer

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Thanks to the generosity of Soccer Chaplains United church partner, 1st CRC of Sioux Center, we were able to deliver a number of The Soccer Psalms and Los Salmos del Futbol for the men’s and women’s soccer program at Dordt University.

This past Thursday, Board Member Jan van Vliet, a former professor at Dordt, was able to hand off 60 copies of The Soccer Psalms and 15 copies of Los Salmos del Fútbol. Jan met with Men’s Soccer Coach, Eric Bourdo, and Payton Chitwood, Women’s Soccer, to deliver the books for the programs to use in their upcoming seasons for their staff and players.

The books also featured an accompanying commemorative sticker from our World Cup campaign. The sticker is designed for student athletes to place elsewhere as a reminder of the Psalm 23-inspired promise that The Lord is my Coach. Spanish language versions of the sticker included flags for the nations of Argentina and Mexico, whose teams are competing in the 2026 edition of the tournament.

If you would like to be a patron or partial sponsor of books and stickers for a particular team or school/university soccer program, reach out to us at info@soccerchaplainsunited.org. Sponsors and patrons will be able to participate in earning stickers and prizes per our Nations and Devotions World Cup Challenge and you can learn more with details here on this page.

Jan (left) poses with Peyton and Eric

Soccer Chaplains United is non-profit, 501(c)3 and depends upon the financial support of individuals and partners to carry out our work of discovering, developing, and deploying chaplains across all levels of soccer. Please consider making a contribution today. Click the PushPay link below to make a gift or check out our Donate page for different giving options.

Unathi Sports Academy — Zambia Makes Community Project Request

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Francis Chivuta and I were recently acquainted on a Global Sport Chaplaincy Association call. I shared about Soccer Chaplains United and also about our Community Projects program which helps get soccer gear out amongst the world. Francis made an appeal with a good friend, Dr. Chip Johnston, offering to carry out soccer gear on his next trip to Zambia for training pastors.

Francis excitedly points out the Zambian national flag at a recent gathering

Part of Francis’ work is to travel around the country to different provinces and train up pastors, leaders, and potential chaplains in sport. He leads different conferences where the Bible is taught and distributes bibles freely during his training conferences as well as training for the different roles that pastors must take on. Furthermore, he is involved prison ministry where he shares God’s word to the inmates across the country and contributes to the basic needs for the inmates. His request is on behalf of Unathi Sports Academy, where he is the president, which is based in Lusaka, Zambia. He shares a testimonial from one of the coaches there:

It has really been a great opportunity for me as a coach to work for Unathi Soccer Academy.

Being as a Christian Sports academy, it has helped me grow in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ more than before I joined. Unathi Sports Academy has further changed the lives of lots of children in our compound who are part of the academy. A good number of the children members have come to learn and know how to pray. Furthermore, those who were not attending church before they joined the academy have started attending church. The most interesting thing and important of all is to hear them confess Christ as Lord and personal savior and furthermore, some are able to advice others the importance of prayer, being good to others, respecting one another and I am so happy that they are able to demonstrate what they learn even when there home and this brings so much happiness to me as a coach knowing that we are transforming these lives.

In our area we have close to twelve (12) academics but we are the only ones who are a Christian academy which truly makes us happy, because everything we do has to involve Christ. We have played a lot of games with teams from within but none of the twelve academics has been able to win or challenge us. We truly appreciate the great work from everyone who supports the academy in prayer and needs, thanks so very much!

Thank you Rev Francis Chivuta for your fatherly love.

Unathi Academy Coach Henry, sharing about his work with the soccer team at Uanthi

When you financially support Soccer Chaplains United a portion of your gift automatically goes to help our community projects and requests. You can give specifically to help cover our costs by making a gift through PushPay — simply select Community Project from the selectable funds. Your financial gift helps us purchase new soccer equipment, sponsor individuals projects and organizations, and to cover associated costs of providing Bibles, soccer equipment, and other outreach tools locally and around the world!

Marco Ambriz Set to Serve Oakland Roots SC

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Pastoral care and ministry was modeled for Marco Ambriz his whole life. Growing up as a pastor’s kid in Texas and California and having three generations of pastors in his family from Latin America, he was given the opportunity to explore leadership and service in the immigrant Latino church as a worship leader, preacher and youth ministry leader growing up. Marco’s own sense of calling from a young age led him eventually to Patten University in Oakland, CA where he earned a B.A. in Pastoral Studies. He later went on to earn an MDiv from Fuller Theological Seminary. His passion is to serve in a community where people from many backgrounds, traditions and cultural contexts can feel safe to explore God together and live out the good news of Jesus in a refreshing way.

Today, Marco is the lead pastor of First Covenant Church of Oakland, celebrating his 22nd year serving as a pastor at the church since 2004. First Covenant is a multi-ethnic, multi-generational church that has been in Oakland since 1887 and its vision is to Break Down Barriers, Build Up People and Be a Light for the City. While Marco enjoys care, preaching and leadership in his local congregation, he also finds so much joy in connecting with people in the community.

Enter the Oakland Roots SC. The Roots began playing in NISA (3rd Division) in 2018, but transitioned to United Soccer League – Championship (Division 2) in 2021. As an integral part of the city with a vision for elevating the city, the Roots and Marco share a similar passion.

Marco’s journey to exploring ways to partner with the Roots began nearly four years ago (a long wait by any stretch). Marco was approached by Jonathan Van Horn of Athletes in Action about serving the team through a recommendation of a mutual friend, but the door was shut for all those years for one reason or another. Then, in the beginning of 2026, some things began to change and a doorway started to open.

When I was first introduced to Marco, one of the things that I loved was his heart for the city and desire to have an impact where he is at. His desire to influence the city and be a part of sharing God’s story there was [for me] a big draw to Marco…there was also an intentional patience — he’s had to wait some 4 years to see this come to fruition. I am excited to see Marco serve the team well. I am excited to see what God does in and through him.

Jonathan Van Horn, on Marco’s patience in waiting four years for the placement

Van Horn, the AIA Executive Director of Pro Soccer and chaplain to the non-defunct North Carolina FC, did much of the work and waiting to try and get Marco connected into the club; however, a surprising story unfolded as several of the staff of Oakland Roots SC had previously worked with Soccer Chaplains United chaplains elsewhere around the league and wanted Marco to go through the process of affiliation with our group instead.

In the final analysis, it’s a testament to the network and relationships amongst the soccer network. Jonathan and AIA were gracious to “share” and help Marco transition into our process. I think it’s a good example of Kingdom partnership in this space.

Brad Kenney, on the collaboration with Jonathan Van Horn and AIA

Marco will finish some onboarding with the Oakland Roots in the next few weeks and begin to more fully serve the team as a volunteer chaplain. He shared some of his own hopes as he prepares to serve the organization:

My hope is to be a spiritual, emotional and inspirational support for the club, players, staff and their families in any way that would be a blessing to them. I feel God calling me to be a conduit of God’s love, care, listening and inspiration regardless of anyone’s background or experience with faith or religion. I want to be someone who helps break barriers and lower walls between the human and the divine and to show Christ’s love by simply offering myself to be present for people where they need.

Marco, on his hopes for the chaplaincy to the Roots

Soccer Chaplains United is grateful to welcome Marco Ambriz to the team and looks forward to the impact of his work at Oakland Roots SC.

Soccer Chaplains United is non-profit, 501(c)3 and depends upon the financial support of individuals and partners to carry out our work of discovering, developing, and deploying chaplains across all levels of soccer. Please consider making a contribution today. Click the PushPay link below to make a gift or check out our Donate page for different giving options.

Marco and his family enjoy some mountain biking

Flowers Set to Bloom in Bossier with Cumbre Alta Youth Club

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On a warm evening in Bossier City, Louisiana, as training concludes at Cumbre Alta youth club, a new kind of presence will be taking shape along the touchline—one focused not on tactics or results, but on care, connection, and character. Soccer Chaplains United is pleased to announce Paul Flowers as its newest chaplain, serving the Cumbre Alta community.

Paul brings more than two decades of ministry experience into this role, along with a diverse background that uniquely equips him to serve athletes, coaches, and families. His journey into ministry began at the age of 15 and has since included missionary work in Peru, extended time living and serving in South America, and years of pastoral leadership and teaching. These experiences have shaped both his theological foundation and his relational approach to ministry.

Internationally, Paul spent time in Peru, Colombia, and Chile, where he focused on outreach, leadership development, and supporting church planting efforts in underserved areas. His fluency in Spanish—developed through years of immersion and teaching—continues to be a valuable asset, particularly in diverse communities like those found within youth soccer.

In the United States, Paul has served in a variety of ministry roles, including youth pastor and associate pastor, where he led Bible studies, organized outreach efforts, and mentored young people. His vocational experience also extends into education, where he has spent significant time teaching both language and trade skills.

Currently, he serves as an instructor at the Caddo Career & Technology Center, teaching carpentry in Spanish and helping students gain practical certification and workforce readiness.

Paul also serves as a pastor at Summer Grove en Español in Shreveport, Louisiana, where he leads in pastoral care, teaching, and music within the Hispanic congregation. Across each of these roles, a consistent theme emerges: a commitment to investing in people through presence, teaching, and long-term relationship.

I love to say: There is no such thing as a great preacher, it’s just a great gospel.

Paul Flowers, on his pastoral and chaplaincy approach

Paul adds the volunteer chaplaincy to Cumbre Alta by joining the Soccer Chaplains United — it represents a natural extension of his calling. At Cumbre Alta, Paul will focus on building trust within the club environment—being a resource to coaches and families, while also offering support to players navigating both the opportunities and pressures of youth sports.

Chaplaincy within Soccer Chaplains United emphasizes consistent presence, relational engagement, and holistic care. Paul’s background aligns closely with these priorities. His ability to connect across cultures, combined with his experience in both ministry and education, positions him well to serve the needs of a growing and diverse soccer community.

As Paul begins this new role, his work will largely take place in the everyday rhythms of the club—conversations before and after training, moments of encouragement, and opportunities to provide spiritual and emotional support when needed. While often behind the scenes, this presence is a vital part of fostering a healthy and supportive environment within the game.

Soccer Chaplains United is grateful to welcome Paul Flowers to the team and looks forward to the impact of his work at Cumbre Alta in Bossier City.

We invite donors to support Paul’s work as he looks to cover his expenditures through this link.

Soccer Chaplains United is non-profit, 501(c)3 and depends upon the financial support of individuals and partners to carry out our work of discovering, developing, and deploying chaplains across all levels of soccer. Please consider making a contribution today. Click the PushPay link below to make a gift or check out our Donate page for different giving options.

Subbing Out: Kell Steps Back From Soccer Chaplains United

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In 2022, Michael Kell (affectionally know as “Kell”) reached out to Soccer Chaplains United. With his son playing in LAFC’s Academy, he had questions about chaplaincy in MLS. As a pastor in Southern California, he saw tremendous needs along the sidelines — parents who were helping and hoping that their young sons could perhaps make it to the pros. Many times he had been called on — a sort of unofficial chaplain — in the midst of crisis and celebration, in the middle of toil and travail.

Kell joined Soccer Chaplains United in September of 2022.

While an official volunteer chaplaincy role never really materialized, Kell still wanted to go through the process to be prepared and ready and to also have some community. His time on the sidelines and building relationships with other academy parents afforded him a unique space to speak into these family’s lives.

Kell’s son Ethan took some time in his senior year of high school at Woodcrest saw him take a mission trip to the inner-city of Cleveland, OH and he took some soccer gear in partnership with Soccer Chaplains United’s Community Project program. The gear was a hit — and there was even an old Tim Howard jersey in the mix. Ethan went on to play soccer at Liberty University.

More recently, Michael Kell has taken over a pastorate and is still juggling the work of NAMB. All of this leading to a decision to step back from his membership and work with Soccer Chaplains United.

We are grateful to Kell for his years of being part of our group and we pray that God will bless his family and his work going forward!

King Sees Silent San Diego Open Up, Begins Chaplaincy Service

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Patrick King began his volunteer chaplain journey in October of 2024 when he put in an application and went through the interview process to serve the local Major League Soccer team, San Diego FC. After excelling in the interview and demonstrating the pastoral heart that we typically look for in a chaplain, he got an introduction to staff at the team and we prepared for him to being service ahead of the team’s inaugural season in 2025. Then, everything went quiet. 

With the club’s beginning season, and all the stress and strain that comes with getting a first-year, top-of-the-line professional soccer team off the ground, the chaplaincy took a back burner. Patrick had some connections throughout the year and offered some availability and support to some staff and athletes, but things felt more like wheels spinning than gaining traction.

San Diego FC had a breakout year. Amongst some of the significant milestones, the club finished 1st in the Western Conference and set a record with 63 points. They lost in the Western Conference Playoff Final to Vancouver Whitecaps, but they had established a new standard for MLS expansion teams on multiple levels. Still, though, the chaplaincy was not going anywhere.

Fast forward to January of this year, I had a hard conversation with Patrick. I asked one question:

Sorry, Patrick. I know that the chaplaincy work hasn’t really taken off. Do you want to keep at it?

– my (Brad Kenney), question to Patrick mid-January of this year

Knowing that the demands on a full-time, senior pastor are immense and that the volunteer chaplaincy can be a difficult and time-consuming add-on, Patrick reluctantly shared that he didn’t think he could keep committing to keeping the space and margin for something that wasn’t showing fruit. We agreed (sadly) to start the off-boarding process.

As I shared with the Board of Directors at our quarterly meeting the following week, Board Member Wells Thompson spoke up. “Hey let me call my friend (one of the assistant coaches) and check in with him one more time before we call it quits.”

That led to an expedient chain of events. “Hey Wells, let me get back to you on this — there is a group of players that have started meeting and they have shared that they want a chaplain or someone to help lead them with their Bible study…”

Over the course of the next few weeks, Patrick was invited to meet with the Assistant Coach, and then one of the group leaders for the players. He was invited to come out to the training center and to visit with the players to learn more of the group study and where the group was desiring to go. Patrick since then has begun to make himself available for the group and for individuals.

When I first met the San Diego players, I encouraged them with Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” God has called us as a group to sharpen our understanding of and commitment to the gospel for our good and the glory of Jesus.

Patrick King, on his initial meetup with San Diego FC athletes
Patrick’s boys and I grab a selfie and some lunch the day of the game
I walked SnapDragon stadium 6 times in 2025, praying for Patrick and the chaplaincy ministry…I’ll walk the 7th with him someday soon!
Even the cameraman had a faith expression…
Me, a bit glum that my Rapids lost 2-0 at the end of the night (with some sore feet)…

Soccer Chaplains United is non-profit, 501(c)3 and depends upon the financial support of individuals and partners to carry out our work of discovering, developing, and deploying chaplains across all levels of soccer. Please consider making a contribution today. Click the PushPay link below to make a gift or check out our Donate page for different giving options.

Ben Bost gets Baylor boost to begin in Boise

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Soccer Chaplains United is excited to welcome Ben Bost as the inaugural volunteer chaplain for AC Boise. Ben, a former professional golfer and also a former Senior Director for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ golf ministry. He is an ideal candidate to begin the chaplaincy ministry for this first year club. Ben contacted me (Brad) after a conversation with mutual friend, Paul Putz at Baylor University, curious about if the new professional soccer team in town needed a chaplain.

I felt like my skills and experience really set me up well to be this sort of missionary back in my time as a pro golfer. Fast forward to today and athletes and people in sport are much of who I look to serve, especially with a focus on mental wellness.

Ben, on his background and experience coming into the volunteer chaplain role

Ben is the Founder of CORE IV Athlete, an innovative mental wellness and performance platform for college athletics and club sports. Powered by his consulting company Firelamp, CORE IV Athlete leverages mental health education along with personal development to assist athletes in their pursuit of being holistically healthy and high performing in the midst of a pressure packed culture.

The way that I am wired, I am fascinated by change and how it occurs while maintaining a high value for organizational health and outside the box thinking. I think much of what I bring to the chaplaincy table is a deep creative aesthetic and a philosophical approach for how we as people might adapt to our rapidly changing culture.

Ben, on his skill set and mentality as a chaplain

AC Boise begins their inaugural season in the United Soccer League — League 1 division, but their sights are aimed higher with an eye toward potential promotion into a higher tier of football once promotion/relegation in the USL begins in 2028.

We are excited to welcome Ben to the team. Ben is fundraising his position and role through Soccer Chaplains United and you can support him and his work by clicking the link here.

Soccer Chaplains United is non-profit, 501(c)3 and depends upon the financial support of individuals and partners to carry out our work of discovering, developing, and deploying chaplains across all levels of soccer. Please consider making a contribution today. Click the PushPay link below to make a gift or check out our Donate page for different giving options.

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