By: Problyn J Alpha
The Sport Department of New Harvest Global Ministries has successfully trained, certified, and commissioned thirteen sport leaders in Kono District. The group includes Physical Health Education teachers, referees, and coaches. The event was held at the Municipal Secondary School, Koeyor Community in Koidu City.
During the certification and commissioning ceremony, held after a three-day training session, Rev. Thomas Kallay, Strategic Coordinator for New Harvest Global Ministries in Kono District, delivered the keynote address. He thanked the organizers and God for the long-awaited training coming to fruition in the district.
To highlight the biblical importance of sporting activities, Rev. Kallay read from 1 Timothy 4:8-14. He encouraged participants to treat the newly established sport ministries with the seriousness they deserve, noting that even football, which began in England in 1914, has grown into a global phenomenon.
He emphasized that devotion is key for the sport ministries to benefit both the participants and the wider promotion of sports alongside the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Pastor Coach Ernest Solomon Shaka Hallowell, head of the Sports Department at New Harvest Global Ministries, explained that the three-day training was designed to cast the vision for sport ministries within churches and among sports enthusiasts.
He expressed gratitude to Samuel G. L. Sannoh for supporting the commencement of the first-ever Level One training in Kono District.
Coach Hallowell defined sport ministries as the integration of faith and sports to serve God, with the goal of training servant leaders who act as spiritual “fathers” on courts, fields, and tracks.
He further explained that the training aimed to develop participants’ characters by addressing their spirit, soul, and body providing a holistic approach.
“The objective is to transform lives by helping people recognize that their God-given talents and gifts are not only physical but also spiritual,” said Coach Hallowell.
He highlighted that many coaches focus solely on players’ technical skills, often neglecting their spiritual and emotional well-being the “second and third dimensions.”
Coach Hallowell stressed the importance of *holistic coaching* targeting the mind, spirit, and body, warning that character issues can negatively impact an athlete’s career and life.
Looking ahead, Coach Hallowell outlined a five-month plan to mobilize other coaches, pastors, and church planters to use the training knowledge in church planting efforts, building relationships and communities with the aim of making disciples.
Addressing how sporting activities can be combined with spreading the Gospel, he said:
“Every person is created by God, and sport ministries help people believe in God’s true existence and strengthen the relationship between humans and God.”
He clarified that sporting activities themselves are not sinful because they are inanimate; it is human behavior that can corrupt them. “The trained sport leaders are expected to eliminate moral callousness in sports and replace it with peace and good relationships,” he stressed.
Reflecting on his coaching journey, Coach Hallowell compared his previous secular coaching experience to the current faith-based approach, which has deeply impacted his holistic well-being by teaching him how to serve both God and humanity.
On behalf of the participants, Coach Alhaji Tamba Senesie and Ibrahim S. Thomas (known as Referee Barkayoko) thanked the organizers for the knowledge imparted, expressing optimism that the training will usher in a new era in the sporting world of Kono District.
Similar trainings have also been conducted in other districts across Sierra Leone.
