Over 100 Student-Athletes Accept Christ at Church Event in Georgia
Over 100 students made a massive, powerful decision and chose to give their lives to Jesus Christ at a recent gathering hosted by a Georgia church group for middle and high school athletes.
According to CBN News, 120 students accepted Christ as their personal Lord and Savior during an event called “Night of Champions,” held by First Baptist Church of Hazlehurst (FBC) in Hazlehurst, Georgia, in collaboration with Strength of a Champion Ministries.
One report from The Christian Index states that the church had made preparations for approximately 500 students and between 65 and 70 coaches.
The head of Strength of a Champion Ministries, Graig Whitt, said the "Night of Champions" event is designed and intended to be an opportunity for outreach that assists local churches in reaching and ministering to student-athletes in their communities.
The event featured coaches and other attendees who encouraged young athletes by giving and sharing their own testimonies and their impact.
Former NFL quarterback Jake Fromm, who was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft and appeared in games for the New York Giants, encouraged coaches in attendance not to diminish their influence on the youth they are coaching. Fromm mentioned that those coaches are instruments the Lord can and will use to reach and minister to the youngsters on their teams and in their sphere of influence.
"Don't underestimate the impact that you have on a young person's life," Fromm said to the coaches in attendance. "There are a lot of souls that you're running into. And God wants those souls. He's going to use you to reach out to them, to mentor them and to help lead them to Him."
Another coach and speaker at the event, Greg Nail, a boys' and girls' high school track coach, spoke directly to the young student-athletes in attendance, encouraging them to seek the Lord in the midst of hardships.
"I can't think of a better thing to do," Nail said. "Especially in today's times, with all the stuff teenagers are having to go through, if they can put God first, it will help them get through it."
Pastor Brad Waters of First Baptist Hazlehurst noted that the event reflects the church's mission "to glorify Jesus Christ, grow disciples and go and fulfill the Great Commission."
"That's exactly what we're doing right here," Waters said. "It's for the gospel. It's to see kids saved."
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/ricardoreitmeyer
Originally published July 30, 2026.
