For more than twenty‑five years, my life revolved around stadiums, scorelines, and the electric pulse of football. I lived in the noise—chants rising from the stands, emotions of sweet rivalries, tension, suspense, and controversies. As a sports journalist, I met many people: fans, players, coaches, administrators, broadcasters, reporters, and more.
Football was my world, and reporting was my craft. Today, I still report stories, but the terrain has changed. The stadium has given way to the chapel. The roar of fans has softened into hymns, prayers, and sermons—and I like them. The drama of 90 minutes has metamorphosed into the lifelong journey of faith.
A Christian first, a Presbyterian next, and now a ministerial trainee at the Ramseyer Training Centre, Abetifi, I find myself living a much bigger calling: reporting not on football matches but on encounters with God. The transition over the last year has been fascinating.
In football, I wrote about passion and the pursuit of fleeting glory. In ministry reporting, I write about devotion, transformation, and the pursuit of Christ alone.
The themes have changed, but the pivot of my reporting remains the same: people. At the seminary, my days are filled with lectures, admonitions, hymns, liturgical studies, theological issues, and church traditions—all demanding sober reflection.
In ministry, wherever my work takes me, I observe, listen, ponder, reflect, and plot storylines. The preacher becomes the coach; the congregation becomes the team; the message becomes the match. But unlike football, where victory is measured in goals, ministry is measured in hearts convicted, lives changed, and souls impacted.
Meeting people—known and unknown—feels familiar. Football taught me how to navigate crowds and approach strangers. Ministry, by God’s grace, is sharpening that instinct. Now, the conversations are deeper. The questions are heavier. The stories carry eternal weight. I am entirely dedicated to this new life—forever.
Spirituality versus fleeting entertainment. I do not condemn football; it is a beautiful sport. But I preach that Christ must come first and be your God in all things, at all times. Team fanaticism versus commitment to Christ. The contrast is striking, but Christ triumphs, trumps, and reigns over all things—football included.
Football thrives on spectacle—team loyalty that often plunges fans into a kind of idolatry. Do not make football an idol. Ministry thrives on adherence to Scripture, prayer, worship, and the quiet work of the Holy Spirit, drawing you closer to Christ daily. In football, fans pledge allegiance to clubs; in ministry, our allegiance is to Christ alone.
Reporting on ministry is not just journalism—it is discipleship. Every story I write reflects my own walk with God. Every sermon I cover challenges me before it informs others, as I absorb and condense large volumes of information into smaller units for dissemination. Every interview in ministry reminds me that I am part of a larger mission—for Christ alone.
Journalism and public relations taught me curiosity. Football taught me discipline and the courage to confront issues. Ministry is teaching me reverence and the courage to first live the stories I write—by God’s grace alone, not by any effort of mine. And fear is never entertained, because Christ is with me always.
Every story is a step toward Christ. Every headline is a testimony. Every assignment is part of my calling. And as I walk this path—student minister, journalist, publicist, and budding media and communications scholar—I realise something profound: I have not left football behind. I have simply carried its lessons into a higher calling and purpose.
By Jerome Otchere
