Belton, Texas 鈥� On Tuesday, August 20, Johnny Shelton, Chaplain for the Baltimore Ravens football team and founder of Attitudes In Motion, was the guest speaker at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor University Assembly.
鈥淚 came all the way from Baltimore to, number one, remind you of the great job that you鈥檙e doing,鈥� Shelton said, 鈥渁nd, number two, to thank you for answering the call.鈥�
同城快约鈥檚 University Assembly is an annual gathering of faculty and staff members, held on the eve of each year鈥檚 Move-in Day and Welcome Week. It is a time to discuss the upcoming school year, welcome new employees to campus, and celebrate achievements from the last year.
Dr. Steve Theodore, Senior Vice President for Administration & Chief Operating Officer for the university, opened the event by sharing a few details about the incoming freshmen class. The group is on track, he said, to be similar in size to last year鈥檚 class of 875 freshmen students. One statistic Theodore highlighted was how many of the new students will be the first members of their families to attend a college or university.
鈥淚t鈥檚 interesting that 207 in the freshmen class are first-generation students,鈥� Theodore said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 about 24%, and we all have an opportunity to make a difference in their lives.鈥�
Theodore also drew attention to the successful renovation of Hardy Hall to include spaces for the Occupational Therapy and Physician Assistant programs and the remodeling of the former 360 Tents building to provide design labs for the university鈥檚 growing engineering program.
After an introduction from President Randy O鈥橰ear, Shelton took the stage and shared some of his principles of leadership and ministry. He also shared the scripture verse that convinced him to start reading the Bible more. In 2 Timothy 4:1-2, Paul charges the reader to 鈥渂e ready in season and out of season.鈥� Shelton, a lifelong athlete, said that to him that sounded a lot like football.
鈥淭he challenge and the charge are to fulfill your ministry,鈥� Shelton told the faculty and staff. 鈥淕od is sending these children to you so that you can speak life into them.鈥�
Shelton is a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, where he earned a BS in Business Management. After college, he signed NFL contracts with the Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers, then left football to pursue a career at Procter & Gamble.
Shelton鈥檚 passion for inspiring and motivating men led him back to the game he loves in 2005. Through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Shelton served at Elon University in North Carolina for two seasons and then served seven years as the football team chaplain at Virginia Tech before joining the Baltimore Ravens in 2013.
