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By Heather Hahn*

3:00 P.M. EST March 3, 2011 | MEMPHIS, Tenn. (UMNS)

Philander Smith’s Brandon Bell (4) drives against Victory University’s Mario Jones. UMNS photos by Mike DuBose.
View in Photo Gallery

The Saturday basketball game did not go as well as the Philander Smith College team had hoped.

But the students and coach still could count on a warm welcome and a home-cooked dinner that night when they visited a local United Methodist church.

The students from the United Methodist-affiliated school in Little Rock, Ark., were greeted not just as basketball players but also as “Athletic Ambassadors.”

“It’s good when you are away from your home base to come to a strange place and meet people who want to make you feel comfortable,” said James E. Johnson, the team’s coach.

Project Athletic Ambassador, sponsored by the denomination’s Black College Fund, pairs local churches with teams from the 11 United Methodist-related historically black colleges and universities during away games.

Participating churches host a gathering before or after the game where the student athletes can meet worshippers, community members and ideally, prospective college students. At game time, the congregations often provide a hometown cheering section for the players far from their own campuses. The program is now in its third year.

“It’s a wonderful way to acquaint people with our schools,” said Cynthia Bond Hopson, a Black College Fund executive at the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry. “And it helps the students understand that ‘Hey, there’s somebody out there pulling for me and praying for me and that means I need to do my best work.’ It’s win-win for everyone.”

Philander Smith athletes pray before their game with Victory University in Memphis, Tenn. View in Photo Gallery

Hopson said she hopes to expand the program in coming years to include all United Methodist-related colleges and universities. The key, she said, is finding local congregations in the places where the teams play their away games.

‘Delighted to have you’

Golden United Methodist Church in Memphis, which has about 250 members, volunteered last year to be a host church in the program.

Church member Edna Bonner said it was important to her to do something to support the historically black schools.

Bonner, the chairperson of Black Methodists for Church Renewal in the Memphis Annual (regional) Conference, also helps coordinate with other United Methodist churches in the area to host teams when they visit.

“I see so many negative stories about young African-American males,” she said, “and I want to show these young men that we are behind them 100 percent. You’ve heard it said that it takes a village. We can be part of the village that raises these young people up.”

Athletes enjoy a dinner served by volunteers from Golden
United Methodist Church in Memphis, Tenn. Project Athletic Ambassador encourages connections between student
and local congregations. View in Photo Gallery

So far, the Golden congregation has played host to seven teams.

On Feb. 19, Bonner wore a black T-shirt brightly emblazoned with the names of the denomination’s black colleges and universities, and she wore an equally bright smile as she welcomed the Philander Smith College Panthers.

“We are delighted to have you,” she told the team, which was the fourth to visit the church this season.

The Panthers had just lost to the Victory University Eagles by a lopsided 107-65, after beating their Memphis rival earlier in the season in a home game.

But the Philander players were all smiles and “thank yous” as they chatted with Bonner and the other women in the church who had prepared their dinner.

Church member Mary Peterson, a retired teacher who graduated from Philander Smith in 1961, shared memories of her alma mater even as she helped the students fill their plates. She recalled that when she was at Philander, chapel service was mandatory for all students twice a week, and the girls were required to wear gloves and stockings every day and a hat to church.

Edna Bonner welcomes visiting teams from the United Methodist Church's historically black colleges to a home-cooked meal at Golden United Methodist Church. View in Photo Gallery

Many of the students were eager to share how much they relished the education they were receiving at Philander Smith.

Larry Stepter, graduating senior studying kinesiology, described the college as a great school for students “from small, humble backgrounds.”

“Philander is a more family-oriented campus,” he said. “You’re not just a number. You can text the president or just walk in his office.”

Fellow senior Kenneth Meredith, a physical education major, said his time in college is strengthening his Christian faith.

The Rev. Ronnie Miller-Yow, the college’s chaplain, is his mentor, and Meredith regularly attends Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church on the college’s campus where Miller-Yow is senior pastor. As Meredith spoke, another student called Miller-Yow to tell him about the game and the dinner.

Connection to the wider church

Philander Smith's DeMarkus Lipscomb (front) drives for the basket against Victory University's Josh Guillory. View in Photo Gallery

Miller-Yow said by phone that the Athletic Ambassadors program helps churches put “a face on their apportionment dollars” that help support the denomination’s Black College Fund.

“It builds relationships and also lets students see more of the connection of The United Methodist Church,” he said. “They see the church is bigger than them and bigger than her school.”

Ultimately, Hopson of the Black College Fund hopes the program will help draw more United Methodist young adults to United Methodist-related campuses.

“The more we brand United Methodist colleges as a viable option for United Methodists, the better off we will be,” she said.

Churches willing to be hosts in the Athletic Ambassadors program can contact Hopson at chopson@gbhem.org.

*Hahn is a multimedia news reporter for United Methodist News Service.

News media contact: Heather Hahn, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.