Four-time Olympic gold and silver medalist, Madeline Mims: Legend and Legacy
An Evening of Thanks giving
Madeline will be hosting a showcase of Olympic legends and celebrity artists at the ORU Mabee Center, November 19, 2009. Join her for An Evening with Madeline and Friends, a night of patriotic inspiration and entertainment. For more information, go to www.madelineandfriends.com
Madeline Mims knows about overcoming obstacles. When she was three years old, she had spinal meningitis and wasn't expected to live. "The doctors said I'd never be normal, mentally or physically," said Madeline, "But God had a plan for my life. And I had a praying mother who prayed me though those years. It produced out of my weakness a mindset of fight and drive and a never-give-up attitude that a champion needs."
Madeline's story:
I first started ORU in 1979. But in 1980, as I was training for the Olympics, I was no longer able to continue. It was 29 years later that I came back to continue my studies in the Master of Divinity program.
The specific reason why I decided to pursue my master's degree was to enhance and develop the ministry that I have in sports chaplaincy. I began a corporate sports chaplaincy in 2004, the U.S. Council for Sports Chaplaincy (U.S.C.S.C.), which I'm developing into a national governing body that will educate, equip, and oversee the ministry of sports chaplains in the U.S.
As a sports chaplain for the last 26 years, I became very aware of their needs. There is no umbrella organization over them, feeding into their development and spiritual growth, no liaison. Even when I turned to different pastors, evangelists or ministers for help, how to minister into the life of a sports chaplain was unknown. The sports chaplains that I met, from the pee wee teams, through high school, collegiate, world class and Olympic, and professionals-I worked in all-we were out there floundering around doing the best we could without directed spiritual education. I even went to military, correctional institutes, and medical chaplains, but none related to ministering the Word of God in the spiritual arena of the sports world.
I realized God was telling me, You're going back to school for this. I didn't want to do that. I was out in the field, very busy about my Father's business. But He said, "You're coming out of the field and going into the classroom." And I didn't argue, as He always wins anyway.
In 2003, I was called by Metro Christian Academy in Tulsa to teach Bible classes. While there, I also coached track and field, and was a volunteer chaplain for the girls' basketball team and the track team. I started really enjoying it and becoming more comfortable with the educational system. It is interesting how God does things. Being in an academic system began to break down my fears of going back to school. Before I taught school, it was just scary; it was not my preference. I had to do paperwork. The lap top was a monster to me. But after teaching, I realized, OK, I can actually do this.
I taught for three years. Then I recognized that the Lord was speaking to me about going to school. I obeyed, and I registered in the ORU graduate College of Theology and Ministry, as a Master of Divinity student in their Modular and Online Program. I really have enjoyed it-much more than I thought I would. I'm finding it is my niche for this season. It's extremely challenging, and it lifts me to a whole new level of academia. As I go through different classes, I'm learning different ways to train potential sports chaplains. I'm connecting with professors that I would like sports chaplains to learn from. There are all kinds of connections at ORU. I see much more clearly that God really knew what He was talking about when He told me, You're going to take this development through the academic arena.
Dean Mathew has really caught the vision I have for sports chaplaincy. He himself helped set up the chaplaincy program at the City of Faith with Oral Roberts. I remember because I participated as a volunteer. He is excited because he has never seen the sports side of chaplaincy. It's new to him, but he has a heart for this kind of pastoral care.
There's something I'm to give to ORU, and something ORU is to give to me. When I was here in '79, God called me back to run again for the 1980 Olympic Games. I know He brought me here, because this was a school surrounded by the very presence of God. In that presence, I committed to run for the '80 Games. I made my fourth Olympic team while I was at ORU. I wore ORU jerseys when I competed around the world. It was very special, but more special while training for the Olympics.
During that winter, when I was practicing in the early mornings at the Aerobics Center, Oral Roberts would be there, walking and praying over the university. I would take my mile warm-up, running around the track, and he would say "There goes my 'Running for Jesus' girl." (In 1976, I had released a book and an album with that title.) As I would run, he would pray for me in English and in the Spirit, and ask God to keep me and guide my steps. This was the most impactful time of my life. I believe during that time, there was a spiritual connection that took place between ORU and me.
I realize now that God has sent me back to ORU to finish the work He has called me to do on earth with the chaplaincy program, and that it is connected back when I ran to represent the school, and Oral Roberts was praying over me.
I recently saw him at the ORU Homecoming. I said, "Chancellor Roberts, this is your 'Running for Jesus' girl."
He first did not understand me and asked, "Where is she?" looking around. I responded, "Right here in front of you!" He laughed and said, "Oh, it is so good to see you! What are you doing here?"
I told him, "I'm actually here in school. After 29 years, I've returned to finish my Master of Divinity, and I plan to go on and get a doctoral degree in sports chaplaincy, to set up a governing body in the U.S."
He was so happy for me. "That's wonderful!" he said. "God is going to be with you. He's got great things in store for you."
As I'm in my classes now, I can see how they will help sports chaplaincy big time. One of the things I've shared with professors is that I don't know how God used me, the way He has used me, for as long as He has used me, with so little knowledge. But what I'm learning is going to really, really help others.
I think this is the cry of sports chaplains everywhere, at every level: that they have an opportunity to be educated to minister to the lives of people who have such great influence throughout the world through sports. When I was teaching, I watched the athletes. If they had done something outstanding in sports the night before, they would swagger in, and the other kids would say, "Wow, we saw you last night!" They would get so puffed up. They would become so boastful and sometimes bullying, because competition carries an element of bully in it-to wear down your competition, to have prowess over them, to come out on top.
So how do you help athletes be confident but not cocky? Strong and powerful, with a mental champion attitude, without boasting themselves over someone else's ability? How do you balance all of that, truly, so you don't come out phony? So you complement your competition, but it's done with a pure heart?
There's a lot behind that, and I'm learning through my classes the social, anthropological, and psychological aspects of ministry. And all of this is tying into how to minster to those in the sports world. So I'm ecstatic that I'm having the opportunity to learn this so I can pass it on to train other sports chaplains at every level.
In the midst of going to school, this August I'm traveling to Germany to be a sports chaplain at the World Track and Field Championships. And on November 19th this fall, I'm hosting An Evening of Thanksgiving with Madeline & Friends, at the ORU Mabee Center, bringing in a host of Olympians and Olympic legends for a night of entertainment.
Legends not only win gold medals, but they change history. They change the course of their sport by what they did. It's going to be an awesome night.
God starts you out on one little thing. He gives you a gift and says, Now develop it. He starts from one little seed in the ground, rooting, then beginning to come up slowly. Finally it grows up into this huge tree that is able to bear fruit. That's the season my life is in now.
There's a book called Half-Time which tells how in the second half of a person's life, you move out of the realm of development and going after money and vocation into legacy. You're now trying to turn things around so you can give away what you've gathered all those years, into someone else's life, to duplicate yourself. That's exactly where I am. I've been in chaplaincy 26 years, and I'm trying to not just leave out, but to duplicate it on a level so that others can come behind me and pick it up and take it even farther. And to do so, they'll need to be educated and equipped.
I've got a lot to do. I've got to finish my race!
