An international team of chaplains worked continuously behind the scenes at the recently concluded Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta, meeting the spiritual needs of 10,500 of the world's finest athletes.
Madeline Manning Mims, one of the chaplains, knows firsthand what it is like to be an Olympic athlete facing the terrifying culmination of years of training and the pursuit of a dream. She did it herself four times.
"She knows the fears, the pressures, the doubts, the highs and lows that we go through," says Josh Davis, who won three U.S. men's swimming relay gold medals at the 1996 Olympic Games. "Athletes know they can trust her, because she's been there."
Mims won a gold medal in the 800 meters in 1968 in Mexico City, setting Olympic and world records. She also participated on the 1972, 1976, and 1980 Olympic teams before beginning singing, speaking, and ambassadorial careers.
A Christian since childhood, Mims found few spiritual resources at the Olympics to help athletes. So she decided to be one herself. In her volunteer ministry, she leads Olympic athletes in worship and encourages them in private.
"Athletes are very religious because of the fear factor, the intense pressure, and anxiety of national and international competition," Mims says. "They'll often reach down in their faith to help them stay sane."
MINISTERING TO THE STRESSED:
At an early Sunday morning worship service during the Games, the Scripture readings, music, and prayers were all familiar. Nothing was unusual except that the group was composed of world-class athletes and prominent sports officials.
For volleyball athlete Jerine Fleurke of the Netherlands, this service was a rare opportunity to worship amid several weeks of exhausting training and intense competition. It was also a treasured chance for fellowship, because none of her teammates shared her faith.
"The others [on my team] were asleep when I came here," she said. "I need to talk to people, to be encouraged by other Christians."
The service was just one activity offered by the Religious Services Center in Atlanta's Olympic Village, the residential and entertainment area for 10,500 Olympic athletes. The center included 30 Protestant chaplains from around the world who represented more than 20 languages and a myriad of denominations. Several of the chaplains, such as Mims, were top athletes who have significant ministries in church congregations or with athletic teams.
Every morning and evening during the Games, a handful of athletes showed up at the center for Bible studies and times of singing. And while chaplains said they are encouraged by the number of committed Christian athletes, they also conceded that with the tremendous activity and celebration surrounding the Olympics, worship generally was not the top priority.
"Athletes don't come to the village to go to church," said Gary Leazer, assistant manager of the Religious Activities Department. "They come here to train, compete, and have fun."
A PLACE TO UNWIND:
For this reason, the Religious Services Center had tried in low-key ways to attract athletes and make them feel at home. For instance, athletes could relax downstairs while playing table tennis or billiards.
"It's a simple environment that doesn't compete with all the glitz and glamour surrounding the Games, but it provides an essential spiritual resource for the unique challenges facing Olympic athletes," said chaplain Peter Nelson, a minister from Canberra, Australia. "For the most celebrated Olympians, an obvious challenge is the temptation of money and success. But in the heat of competition, almost all the athletes struggled most with focusing.
"[Olympians] seek a sense of peace of mind, so that they can concentrate on the task at hand and aren't carrying any extra baggage."
For one Cuban athlete, gaining that precious concentration meant talking on a Religious Services Center phone for four hours to his father, with whom he had not spoken in 20 years.
International athletes also face the additional pressures of adjusting to an unfamiliar culture. This can be particularly daunting for those from poorer nations.
"We're finding our ministry is really touching [athletes from] smaller nations who often feel on the outside," Nelson said. "Some athletes come here with no shoes. Other people here are millionaires."
And of course, there was the intense disappointment most athletes confront when they do not make the finals. One athlete, the first Olympian ever to represent Cape Verde Islands, injured himself several days before the Opening Ceremonies. With tears in his eyes, he told a chaplain that he would have to drop out of competition.
GETTING THE WORD OUT:
The Religious Services Center also functioned as a resource provider. Free Christian reading materials and Bibles were available for athletes and delegations.
"We had someone from a French-speaking country come and request 24 French Bibles," Leazer said. "We didn't have them, but we called and found some."
Sometimes the resource was just space: The South Korean delegation reserved the worship room from 5 to 6:30 a.m. every morning, and on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday evenings. Their personal chaplain led services in Korean.
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Because of their official position-the International Olympic Committee officially recognized the Religious Services Center in 1988-chaplains are subtle in their approach. Rather than evangelizing athletes, chaplains strive to meet their immediate needs. But the importance of their presence for athletes is immeasurable.
Davis, 23, became a Christian in 1991 and was discipled by a chaplain at the World University Games. "It communicates a whole lot," Davis says, "when a chaplain doesn't want anything from you, doesn't mention your name in conversation when talking to someone else, is just there behind the scenes loving you, praying for you."
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