October is Pastor and Ministry Appreciation month and today, on the From the Touchline podcast, I (Brad) want to take a minute (well a lot of minutes) and share about the special people that make up Soccer Chaplains United. We now have a team of 28 people who are working and serving as chaplains to the sport of soccer and each of them comes with a special set of gifts and talents and contributions that they make to Soccer Chaplains United and the teams that they serve. I wish I was able to personally thank them over and over again for representing Jesus to the people of soccer as wonderfully as they do, but at least for today — I will talk about them and point you to honoring their work and their sacrifice.
From the Touchline is a podcast with Rev Brad Kenney, Founder and Executive Director of Soccer Chaplains United and Volunteer Chaplain to the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer.
Rev Brad and occasional guests touch on various issues around the topics of faith, family, and football (soccer).
Don’t forget that you can listen in our app, SoccrChapUtd,in the Apple and Google store.
https://soccerchaplainsunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/From-the-Touchline-Cover-Art.jpg15001500Brad Kenney/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SCU_Seal_Logo-300x300.pngBrad Kenney2023-10-11 00:00:002024-07-08 23:47:422023 Soccer Chaplains United Chaplain Appreciation
Growing up in Harare, Zimbabwe, Africa Tate Madizma grew up in a Christian home and also grew up kicking a ball and loving sports. While he grew up going to church and having an idea about God, a relationship with God, with Jesus, was a more difficult thing to grasp. Tate, on multiple occasions, found himself struggling to understand God’s grace until his youth pastor began to disciple him and teach him more accurately about the nature of God.
Then, in 2004, Tate made the move to the United States for college. He studied Radio, Television, and Film at the University of North Texas, but he had a call upon his heart for full-time ministry. He began to serve at The Village Church while he was in college and God started doing a work in him which led him to seminary and eventually into more full-time ministry.
Fast-forward to last year (2022) and Clint Moore began to consider whom he might add on to the chaplaincy team serving Albuquerque’s professional soccer team, New Mexico United. As Clint moved from full-time church work into a role in industry, he felt as though his time may grow to be less flexible than it had with pastoring. As Clint and I talked about United and the team’s needs, I asked him, “Who do you think might be able to fill your role well, in the event that you need to step back or step away?”
“Two guys, actually…” he replied.
Earlier this year, we introduced Jordan Rivera who serves as bilingual chaplain to New Mexico United. Tate now joins to also co-chaplain the team and bring some different gifts to the table. Tate is the Children and Families pastor at Desert Springs Church, a church which helped to birth out the church Clint pastored at for several years. Tate and Clint had for a number of years been playing soccer together weekly in a midday pick up game. The connection between the two churches had helped to reinforce their pastoral relationships and friendships and the mutual passion for soccer was a bonus. Clint shared with me the how and why Tate fits Soccer Chaplains United.
Tate being born and raised in Zimbabwe brings a whole other experience and value set to the table…he can readily related to people in soccer that come from similar kinds of backgrounds. Yet, Tate has been in the U.S. long enough now that it’s seamless for him to integrate and “get” those that have grown up here for their whole lives. He loves Jesus, people, and the game of soccer…plus he has kiddos running around the house so he gets what it is to juggle the demands of job and family life all at the same time. This is a place where many in USL soccer find themselves.
Clint Moore, on how Tate adds to the team serving New Mexico United
I had the opportunity, earlier this year, to meet with Tate over a meal in Albuquerque. I shared more with him the style and approach that Soccer Chaplains United takes as we take on chaplaincy in the soccer space, much of which really resonated with Tate. He shared some of his background and some of the gifts that add to his chaplain and pastoral presence and appraoch.
I feel that being a chaplain and part of the team with Clint and Jordan suits me really well. My love of the game, my love of people, and my love for Jesus, kind of all get wrapped up here. I can imagine some of the challenges that come with the game and the pressures and I come from an ask culture — I am going to ask and pursue and seek to help people in an authentic way. My wife and I are excited to add this to our and our families opportunities to serve others here in Albuquerque.
Tate Madzima, on his vision for serving New Mexico United
The appointment of Tate brings Soccer Chaplains United’s chaplain corps, currently, to 22. His bio page is found here.
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 work. Our chaplains are not employed or paid by any of the clubs that we serve. Check out our Donation Page with all the different options. Or, simply click the PushPay link below to make a secure, online, tax-deductible gift, or mail a donation to Soccer Chaplains United, PO Box 102081, Denver, CO 80250.
https://soccerchaplainsunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/madzima-2_Original-scaled.jpg19201280Brad Kenney/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SCU_Seal_Logo-300x300.pngBrad Kenney2023-04-25 00:00:002024-07-08 23:49:48Tate Is Great for Soccer Chaplains United
Jordan Rivera recently completed the process to being serving as a volunteer chaplain to New Mexico United, a team playing in the United Soccer League — Championship (USL-C) in Albuquerque, New Mexico. USL-C is part of the second division of professional soccer in the United States and New Mexico United has, historically, been one of the stronger and more exciting teams to play in the league independent of any Major League Soccer (MLS) club affiliations.
Established in 2018, NMU is a constant contender in the Western Conference of what is USL-Championship
Jordan, originally from Ecuador, was tabbed by current volunteer chaplain Clint Moore to help assist with Spanish-speaking needs throughout the organization — from the first team through the academy. Growing up, Jordan enjoyed playing soccer but when his family moved from Ecuador to Argentina and then to the US — the call of God was heavy on his heart and he started to pursue a theological education and a deepening of his relationship with God.
Jordan has a heart for Jesus, the game of football, and the people on and off the pitch. Being from Latin America gives him even more language and cultural ability to serve the club in unique ways. I can’t wait to see how the Lord uses him at NM United!
Clint Moore, volunteer chaplain New Mexico United
Jordan bring a number of skills and talents and other unique notes as he joins the team of Soccer Chaplains United. At age 28 he is now the the youngest chaplain to serve in the group. He is the first chaplain of Ecuadorian descent (although not the first to be born in Quito — see Kurt Trempert). Jordan joins a growing list of bilingual chaplains which have represented the nations of Mexico, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Columbia, Brazil, and Chile. His ordination with Comunidad Cristiana La Nueva Esperanza of San Juan, Texas is tied into the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) making Jordan the 4th chaplain in Soccer Chaplains United history to come from that denomination.
Jordan enjoys coffee and playing guitar and other instruments as well as learning to be a new dad
Jordan joins the chaplaincy team in the midst of preparing to launch a Spanish-speaking congregation in Albuquerque in the next year or so. He is married and he and his wife have a young daughter whom they are both enjoying learning to love and parent.
I have been really impressed at the lengths Soccer Chaplains United goes in this process. It feels affirming and feels important — this isn’t just a pat on the back and go do the work. I look forward to working with the people, in my time shadowing Clint in the past I have learned that there is a slow and steady work to build trust and to serve people where they are.
Jordan River, on joining Soccer Chaplains United and serving NMU
Soccer Chaplains United is non-profit, 501(c)3 and depends upon the financial support of individual donors and church partners to carry out our work of growing chaplaincy service across all levels of soccer. Our chaplains are not employed or paid by any of the clubs that we serve. Check out our Donation Page with all the different options. Or, simply click the PushPay link below to make a secure, online, tax-deductible gift, or mail a donation to Soccer Chaplains United, PO Box 102081, Denver, CO 80250.
https://soccerchaplainsunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Jordan-Rivera-hs.jpg8001000Brad Kenney/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SCU_Seal_Logo-300x300.pngBrad Kenney2023-02-07 00:00:002024-07-08 23:54:25Jordan Rivera Joins Soccer Chaplains United in Albuquerque
We may request cookies to be set on your device. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website.
Click on the different category headings to find out more. You can also change some of your preferences. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer.
Essential Website Cookies
These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features.
Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site.
We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain.
We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. You can check these in your browser security settings.
Other external services
We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Changes will take effect once you reload the page.
Google Webfont Settings:
Google Map Settings:
Google reCaptcha Settings:
Vimeo and Youtube video embeds:
Privacy Policy
You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page.