The Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu and the Archbishops’ Sports Ambassador, the Rt Revd Tony Porter welcomed delegates from the Northern Province of the Church of England to Bishopthorpe Palace for a Ministry of Sport Day.
The event, which took place on 8 October, included a welcome address by the Archbishop of York, as well as workshop sessions led by Graham Daniels - the General Director of Christians in Sport and Director of Football at Cambridge United Football Club - and Keith Proctor, Managing Director of Christians in Sport.
The Ministry of Sport is a Church of England initiative but churches of all denominations are part of this ministry which assists individuals and local churches to build on sport-related opportunities. All are welcome to access all that the Ministry of Sport has to offer – visit here for more details:
The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu said: “I think that sport offers the most wonderful way of opening doors of opportunity. Through sport we discover more of all that God created us to be – whether as coaches, as players or as supporters – and that transformations are possible. With God on your side, everything is possible!”
Bishop Tony Porter said: “The Ministry of Sport helps the local church to share the Good News of Jesus in an accessible way to those in our teams. The sports field is ripe for harvest!”
Director for Mission in the Diocese of Chester, the Revd Lyn Weston, says: “It’s fantastic to be part of a national group of advocates who are passionate about sharing the good news of Jesus and have a real desire to multiply disciples in the world of sport and fitness, in a culture and language sports and fitness enthusiasts understand. Each year, the Diocese of Chester plays our part in the Annual Ministry of Sport Conference, inspiring other dioceses with our vision, ideas and learning and gratefully receiving lots of fresh ideas and resources from others.”