Last night, on UNC-TV I watched Frontline's story "Football High" about high school football. During the program, a familiar face popped up on the screen. Someone in the room said, "He has a look like Kenneth Copeland!" The face was that of Fundamentalist Ronnie Floyd, an SBC elite superstar. Of course, my attention was riveted to learn what he might be doing on this program about High School Football! After a few shocking minutes, the show raised for me some critical moral questions about the way clergy should treat people's children.
Pastor Floyd, leader of several Arkansas megachurches and past SBC executive, and sponsor of the Great Commission Resurgence adopted last year, is portrayed by Frontline's video as the hands-on number one cheerleader for his Baptist megachurch school's team, the Christian Saints. I was surprised to learn that Floyd's own son was the best head coach available to this well-financed football factory. Reading between the lines, I saw a hyper-serious football program for children that is very heavily financed (more than your regular high school!) and exists for the gratification of alpha dog egos in a feedback loop closed society. Why does a team with a roster of 30 need with 6 full time coaches? Sanity please.
Let me just say that there are moral questions here about the exploitation of children by clergy. In our times (why more than others?) clergy need to be very careful about how they allow the children under their influence to be treated. We would expect clergy to have the highest concern, and to discourage coercion and manipulation of younger souls, and try and prevent abuses that cause long lasting harm. In high school football individual choice and parental consent play major roles, but even these are likely muted voices in the echo chamber of Church-School-Football-Fundamentalism that I observed in the program.
Are there not crucial moral questions here? I think Pastor Floyd needs to re-think (using self-criticism) his quest for some ultimate football prize. If he and others with his power and money want this kind of thrill, and pull out all the stops to get it, why say that it is a result of "God's favor?" (Yes, he said that.) Is it more likely that it is the result of God's people's money, combined with a moral deafness to the best interests of school children? Perhaps they should buy a grown up football team, like other grown ups do.
Shouldn't we expect higher moral standards from our Baptist leaders? With this type of influence and financing comes higher responsibility! Amen!
If childrens' football has the dangerous potential shown by Frontline, then a radical re-evaluation of the sport is in order. Of course this raises other moral questions about freedom and government control, etc. But, hey, even the NFL and NCAA have some rules! Apparently these types of renegade high school programs have freedoms they don't deserve, and children are paying the price.
Pastor Floyd, winning isn't everything. For parents, our children almost are everything! Football is a game!
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