Hardin-Simmons to Host First Tri-College Fields of Faith

What began as an idea from two HSU football players has blossomed into a citywide event. Hardin-Simmons University will be hosting the first ever Fellowship of Christian Athletes Tri-College Fields of Faith event on Mar. 21 at 7:00 p.m. at HSU’s Shelton Stadium. Partnering with ACU and McMurry, the event will feature worship, fellowship, food, and a message from Dr. Kelvin Kelley.

Senior wide receiver for the Cowboys, Devonte Walker, said that he wanted to help plan this event to reach his fellow students in a unique way.

“I just felt that since we’re an Education Enlightened by Faith that there had to be something more we could do as a student body to enlighten the faith and culture around here. Fields of Faith is an incredible experience…and it’s going to bring the student body closer together,” Walker said.

Fields of Faith is an interdenominational student-led gathering which began in 2004. The first Big Country Fields of Faith was held one year later at Shelton Stadium. This year, the event is reaching beyond middle and high school students to the college students of Abilene.

“We want our Fields of Faith to be about more than food, fun, and fellowship,” said speaker for the event, Dr. Kelvin Kelley, “We want it to be about faith, formation, and fruit.”

As Associate Professor of Theology at HSU, Dr. Kelley is excited to be a part of this new campus event.

“It’s amazing to know that the first ever college Fields of Faith is occurring on our campus out of the imagination of our students,” Kelley said. “By partnering with McMurry and ACU, Hardin-Simmons is living up to its founding to “Bring young men and women to Christ, to teach them of Christ, and to train them for Christ.” That’s part of our DNA. It’s who we are.”

The event will offer chapel credit as another non-traditional chapel event. HSU has recently begun to offer chapel credit at events like intramural championship games. Kelley, who spoke at the last intramural chapel, said these kinds of events show our students that they can embed their faith in anything they do.