Inspire, Summer 2012

It is possible for missionaries and pastors to become good at what they do but forget why they do it — to draw water from the Word of God for others, yet never drink from it themselves. Missionaries and pastors often have no one with whom to share confidential matters. They often desire a spiritual coach to speak truth into their lives, remind them of truth they already know, encourage them, listen to them, and challenge them when it’s appropriate. Athletics was an important part of my life in high school and college, and I wanted to grow and develop as an athlete. But I never thought much about how God could use athletics in and through my life. Little by little, He began to reveal an exciting future for me … in coaching. Early Opportunities I entered Cedarville in 1965 on a basketball scholarship. Then-coach Don Callan likes to say I was the only junior high player he ever scouted, but he also says that’s due to my older brothers’ coercion. My Cedarville experience was special, and through God’s grace and the developing hand of my coaches, I became an NAIA Division I All American in basketball and baseball. While at Cedarville, I was drafted by the New York Mets and had met with representatives from the Indiana Pacers. On the somewhat humorous side, I also received a letter from Tom Landry inviting me to the Dallas Cowboys training camp. Those successes convinced me that God’s will for my life was professional athletics. After college, I did what I thought God was calling me to do — I left for southern Florida to play baseball in the Mets farm system. But while there, He got a hold of my heart and directed me into an unexpected ministry. Turning Points For those first few years in ministry, I often wondered why God had allowed me to achieve athletic success and had so obviously, sovereignly, opened doors for advancement. Naturally, I developed youth programs around sports, and I began to realize athletics was an effective bridge into young men’s lives to draw them to Christ. As I grew older, God developed in me a desire to connect with young men as a mentor and coach. In 1977, my wife, Bev (Hare) ’72, and I were living in Cedarville, raising missionary support for our work with the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism (ABWE). Coach Callan asked if I would serve as his assistant with the men’s basketball team, and that’s how I met Eric Mounts ’81. Eric was a highly recruited athlete who went on to become Cedarville’s all-time leading scorer — arguably the University’s greatest basketball player. God Who ministers to those in ministry ? THERE WITH THE Assist by Bruce McDonald ’69 Early in his ministry, Bruce McDonald ’69 served as a chaplain for professional sports teams including the Philadelphia 76ers. 14 SUMMER 2012