About BSMN
Vision Statement
Create a spiritually healthy and inclusive community of Black athletes, coaches, support staff, and chaplains where individuals may thrive in their respective sports transcending the challenges of race, gender, or faith tradition.
Mission Statement
Our mission is to provide spiritual care rooted in Black spirituality and theology to members of the African Diaspora in sports, regardless of religion, sexual orientation, or intellectual or physical dis/abilities– helping them to navigate challenges they may face while being Black, an athlete, and a person of faith in a healthy and holistic manner.
The Black Sports Ministry Network seeks to do this through strategic collaboration with Black pastors, chaplains, scholars, and others by creating and cultivating a unique perspective and platform for education, empowerment, and social advocacy.
Through dynamic dialogue, resource sharing, and intentional community-building, we aspire to create transformative spaces that catalyze social change within athletics.
Our How:
Empowerment Through Education: Our online programming and initiatives utilize theological education and other interdisciplinary subjects to empower Black athletes, coaches, support staff, sports chaplains, and sports enthusiasts provided by professionals from professional sports, church, and the academy.
Spiritual Care and Support Resources: Spiritual Well-Being is integral to overall physical and mental health. We are working to provide holistic support to athletes, coaches, and support staff through building our network of sports professionals (psychologists, physical therapists, dieticians, etc.) and chaplains, facilitators, and pastors.
Investing in the Future of Sports: By aiding in the development of a faith-based network– rooted in the Black experience, It’s our goal to foster a community of athletes, coaches, and support staff that advocates for social justice within sports and society that leads t0 ethical leaders becoming a catalyst for change while honoring their athletic ancestors.
The Black Sports Ministry Network was selected as the recipient of a $15,000 Pastoral Study Project Grant from the prestigious Louisville Institute. This grant will be instrumental in supporting the BSMN in their year-long 2024 project “A Womanist Sports Ethic of Care.” This project is multifaceted and is set to explore the intersectionalities faced by Black women college athletes and offer guidance on navigating the complex roles of being Black, an athlete, and a person of faith.
The Louisville Institute’s Pastoral Study Project Grant provides skilled and innovative clergy, lay leaders, and staff working in diverse Christian contexts in North America with grants up to $15,000 to support independent or collaborative projects — engaging study of the Christian life, religious practices and institutions, or significant issues for the church, our communities, and the wider world. Funded by the Religion Division of Lilly Endowment, the Louisville Institute’s mission is to bridge Church and academy through awarding grants and fellowships to those who lead and study North American religious institutions, practices, and movements, and thereby promoting scholarship that strengthens the Church.