Church Buzz

The Lake Murray Blowfish’s former coach has taken over the Columbia International University baseball program.

In the spirit of CIU, Jonathan Johnson is helping spread the gospel in Cuba and other Latin American countries.

Johnson’s father was a pastor in Florida and a great baseball player at Florida State. When he was drafted by the Texas Rangers, he used his signing bonus to start Honor the Father Ministry.

In doing mission work in Cuba, his father met Osmonte Sosa, a former Cuban professional baseball player.

Sosa had given up his career to start a sports ministry using baseball to share the gospel but needed equipment to start a league for young men.

Jonathan and former Major League teammate R. A. Dickey stepped up to help by working with locals to promote baseball leagues.

They used their time with baseball lovers to preach about freedom derived from a sin free life and how it was the key to salvation. As of last year, they had surpassed 1 million people exposed to the gospel and they are seeing 20 thousand salvations a year.

Through their initiative they see some of the poorest people in the western hemisphere, many with dreams of making the “Big League.”

Most never will but come to know the Lord Jesus. And now every major league team in Cuba has a chaplain and players wear a patch on their uniform that reads “Cuba for Christ”.

Their baseball ministry has spread to other Caribbean and Central American countries. There are 90 feeding centers in Nicaragua, a school near Ceiba, Honduras and a coffee farm owned by the ministry.

I believe God has even bigger plans for this ministry.

Do you have a ministry that you want to talk about? Contact me by phone at 803-348-0243 or email at Chuck.lexchron@gmail.com .