I am excited to announce that with the United Soccer League—Championship kicking off this past weekend, Erick Jiménez, has moved through the candidacy process with Soccer Chaplains United and will now be appointed to serve as volunteer chaplain to El Paso Locomotive FC.
Erick is the Pastoral Director of Young Marrieds and Family at Coronado Baptist Church and is currently working on his Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. You can read more about him on his bio page here.
During the time of COVID-19, chaplaincy placement conversations have been extremely difficult as different teams and organizations bide their time to see how the global pandemic will impact the sports industry — across all levels. However, the appointment of Erick as chaplain comes at an important time as many of the USL athletes have been waiting and training in their team markets. With the recent collective bargaining agreement and other adaptations to the league play this year, many athletes have been isolated, even from teammates and waiting to see if soccer would happen at all this year.
After a month long dialogue, and a few weeks of searching for viable candidates in the El Paso area, God made Erick’s candidacy clear. For Erick, the timing was something he and his wife could see God working in,
For awhile I have been removed from sports ministry and my wife and I before COVID-19 had been talking about getting back into some form of ministry utilizing sport. And then I get this random call. I was thinking ‘This was crazy!” I had been wondering if our teams in El Paso had chaplains and then this call and the process, and I am seeing how God is working through this.
Erick Jimenez, on receiving a random phone call about the chaplaincy opportunity
Erick’s appointment as chaplain becomes Soccer Chaplains United’s fourth USL – Championship chaplain and 14th chaplain overall.
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, counseling, and community service across all levels of soccer. Please consider making a contribution today to help us continue growing our work. Simply click the PushPay (the big P) link below to make a secure, online, tax-deductible gift, or mail a donation to Soccer Chaplains United, PO Box 102081, Denver, CO 80250.
