Local ministry headed to Olympics to evangelize

Members of the International Sports Chaplains Ministry will be making their sojourn to the Summer Olympics in Paris this year to evangelize in a rather unique way. Every Olympics, the group uses the popular spectator sport of pin trading to spread their message.

“Our whole purpose in going there is evangelism,” said Randall Hamer, pastor of Plant City Baptist Church in Lanett. “Pin trading is a big spectator event at the Olympics, and you have the different teams, countries, businesses, and other ministries. Everyone comes with their pin, and people collect them and they trade them.”

Four members will be there from July 24 to August 13. Then, two teams will come from July 25 to August 2 and from August 3 to August 11.

The ISC ministry began in 1988. Since then, representatives have attended every Olympic Games except the last two. Hamer himself has attended three, though he said others of the group have attended as many as eight or nine Games.

Hamer said the rule with the ISC group’s pin is different from most.

“We tell them that, ‘well, I can’t trade you this pin because it’s the best pin at the Olympics, because it’s the only pin with a story,” Hamer said. “‘But if you’ll listen to the story, I’ll give you the pin.’”

After a while, Hamer said, the word gets out about the group’s pins and many people have sought them out.

“It only takes a few days for the word to get out, because it’s a great-looking pen,” he said.

Hamer remembered a story from when the Olympics were held in Rio. The group went into town to see the statue of Christ and began to tell the story in exchange for the pin to some bystanders. He said by the end, they had spoken to something like 100 people.

“For each time we tell the story, it’s a seed planted,” Hamer said.

The group uses fundraising to support the trip. To bring 25,000 pins with them, they need to raise at least around $40,000. Hamer said anyone wishing to learn more about the organization can reach out to him at 404-787-0171.

For those who want to be a part of the prayer ministry locally, the group will add them to a prayer list that will receive updates with prayer requests throughout the trip.

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