Johnny Shelton: We’re coming from a place of victory. And so how we live our life when it comes to winning and losing, it’s not about chasing it. It’s about the substance, the identity. Our victory should be in Jesus Christ. 

Champions of Faith: NFL Team Chaplains Kent Chevalier and Johnny Shelton & Pastor Earl McClellan – Episode #446

Narrator: Welcome to the Jesus Calling Podcast. This week, we’re joined by Kent Chevalier and Johnny Shelton, two remarkable men who serve as NFL team chaplains, providing spiritual guidance, encouragement, and support to players, coaches, and their families. Kent serves with the Pittsburgh Steelers, while Johnny works with the Baltimore Ravens. They each offer a glimpse into the challenges NFL athletes face both on and off the field, and the transformative power of compassion and understanding in high-pressure spaces. 

Later in the episode we’ll hear from Earl McClellan, founder and lead pastor of Shoreline City Church in Dallas, Texas. With a deep faith that began in his teens, Earl shares the story of discovering his spiritual heritage, battling negative self-talk, and learning to live fully in his true identity. 

Let’s begin with Kent and Johnny’s stories.

Kent Chevalier: My name is Kent Chevalier. I have the privilege of serving on staff with Athletes in Action as the Steelers chaplain. I’m married to Erica, and together we have three daughters.

Johnny Shelton: Yes, and my name is Johnny Shelton, and I too serve as the chaplain for the Baltimore Ravens. I’m married to my wife, Thlitha, and we have two great children, Shawnda’ and Shawnta’.

I grew up between three states. It was my mom and my sisters, and no dad around. Between Missouri, Illinois, and Tennessee, we moved around just where there was family at, my mom was trying to find some type of stability. I didn’t have many dreams growing up. I just wanted to have that stability. It really speaks to how I interact with men today.  

Kent: I grew up right here in Pittsburgh. Erica and I met in Geneva College, and before that, my dad was in the steel mills. And so while my dad struggled to find work after the industry collapsed, my mom was the one who had the foresight to get a job at the local college so that my sister and I would be able to attend college. And that’s where I began to discover a calling into ministry. 

Erica and I served in the Pittsburgh area for twenty-two years before starting in the role that we currently hold, serving on staff with Athletes in Action to serve the Steelers. It’s incredible that we both grew up in this town, that we’ve been doing ministry in this city ever since we graduated college, and now to be able to serve the team that we grew up rooting for in this capacity is absolutely incredible, and one of those God winks that He gives to us. 

“To be able to serve the team that we grew up rooting for in this capacity is absolutely incredible, and one of those God winks that He gives to us.” – Kent Chevalier 

The Road to Becoming an NFL Chaplain

Johnny: Thlitha and I, we worked in the business sector. This goes back to twenty five plus years ago while I was working at Procter and Gamble. I felt the Lord’s calling in ministry for me, but I thought it was [to be] a pastor of a church. So I started going to seminary at night, working, loving youth ministry, doing those types of things. And I got involved with an organization called Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and I started serving on the board there. That’s when I learned about sports chaplaincy, while serving as a director for this organization. And I started out at Elon University, went on to serve at Virginia Tech. And then I started here with the Ravens in 2013. 

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting all of the chaplains that serve on other teams in the NFL. And that’s how Kent and I [met]—as he began to come on, I guess, four to five years ago now. And we’ve developed a strong bond. 

Kent: I was serving at a local Pittsburgh church, a wonderful church, Northway Christian community. About year ten into that, I just began to feel like something was shifting. I didn’t know what was coming. I didn’t want to chase that feeling, so I was going to wait on the Lord and His timing. About two years into that waiting process, the San Francisco 49ers traded their tight end to the Pittsburgh Steelers. His name is Vance McDonald, and Vance and his family began attending the church where I was pastor. And like I did every weekend, I would stand up in front of the congregation and say, “Hey, if you’re new with us today, I would love the opportunity to meet you after service.” And that’s when Vance came and introduced himself to me. He asked if we could grab a cup of coffee, and it was there for the first time that he said to me that the Steelers didn’t have a chaplain at that time, which is crazy because they’ve always had a really strong history of chaplains.  

And so the fact that God was kind of messing with me on the inside, I knew something was coming when I met Vance and he told me that the Steelers didn’t have a chaplain. I was like, “What does an NFL chaplain do?” And so when Vance began to tell me, it was basically running Bible studies and leading chapels and leading couples ministries for the players and their wives or girlfriends and the coaches and their wives. I was just awestruck like, Oh my goodness, that would be something that I would love to do.  

But I was very intimidated. It would take a giant leap of faith to leave the ministry role that I was in and to become a full time missionary to serve as the Steelers chaplain. And obviously, God convinced us. We took a step of faith. And Erica and I both love serving in the role.  

How NFL Chaplains Serve Their Teams

Johnny: One thing that we do before any game, we do a prayer walk around the field. We’re just praying to God for His presence, for guys to seek Him the way that He would want them to. We do that before the games.

Kent: I love those moments where you and I can prayer walk the field together. It’s also an opportunity for you and me to catch up in those moments, to share how ministry is going in both of our locker rooms.  

And Johnny, I say this about you all the time, man, you’re a go-to guy for the other NFL chaplains. You are the one that is the calming presence for us. You’ve been at this for a long time. I can come to you with all kinds of questions, but also you’re like the pastor to the chaplains. You’re the one on the text thread that gets us going and you’re praying for us and throwing scriptures out there. It’s almost like you are the chaplain to the chaplains. And I’ve always appreciated that and the fact that we get to be in the AFC North together. That means I get to see you at least two times a year and be able to do those types of prayer walks, man.  

Johnny: Oh, man, that’s awesome coming from you. It’s encouraging. One thing that I’ve learned over the years is that, yeah, we’re ministering to the players and our coaches that God has called us to, but we need to minister to each other. We need each other because we are the only ones who know what the other chaplain is dealing with. It’s something that I don’t take lightly, man, I know you don’t and I know the other guys don’t either.  

“We’re ministering to the players and our coaches that God has called us to, but we need to minister to each other. We need each other because we are the only ones who know what the other chaplain is dealing with.” – Johnny Shelton 

Kent: We get to celebrate the high moments, the wins of life, to be able to perform a ceremony for somebody’s wedding or to do a child dedication. These are massive wins that we get to be a part of in people’s spiritual walks. And at the same time, that is extremely difficult, just being a listening ear, being available to come alongside these men with no judgment and just say, “Hey, man, how are you? How are things going?”

This game is a violent game even in practices, the collisions, the amount that these guys put their bodies on the line—you’ll see these players who will just, in a practice, have a season-ending injury. You watch a game and there’s a brutal hit and this guy might not be playing ever again. So how do you walk alongside them in a devastating moment like that? We just call it the ministry of availability, being there, speaking hope, speaking life. 

Johnny: It’s a privilege because God has called us to do that. He has equipped us to actually be that light in the midst of darkness. 

We have their best interests at heart. I mean, it’s plain and simple. So many people want something from these guys as athletes, whether it’s financially or making appearances or something. And we as chaplains, we don’t want anything from them. We just want to love on them. That’s when the closeness comes. 

And that’s why I love the fact that you have organizations like the Steelers and the Ravens and the other NFL teams who have a chaplain in place for those such moments, because these guys love this game. But what they find out is that this game doesn’t love them back. And these situations happen, but it’s part of the game. And the fact that they love it and they’re gifted to play this game… we as chaplains are called to be in this space with them side by side, walking with them. It is definitely a privilege. 

“We as chaplains are called to be in this space with them side by side, walking with them. It is definitely a privilege.” – Johnny Shelton 

NFL Players Are Real People with Real Challenges 

Kent: It’s sealed in my brain about the brotherhood within the NFL chaplaincy, that regardless of the teams that we serve, we don’t get caught up in those wins or losses because each and every one of us is just walking through life.  

Yes, the Ravens and the Steelers are rivals. But what I love is that moment after the game where we all come out—coaches, players, staff—and we come to that moment at the fifty after the game and we join hands and we kneel before God. And I love that players and coaches from both teams come together and recognize the unity of the brotherhood of faith in the NFL.

“Yes, the Ravens and the Steelers are rivals. But what I love is that moment after the game where we all come out—coaches, players, staff—and we come to that moment at the fifty after the game and we join hands and we kneel before God. And I love that players and coaches from both teams come together and recognize the unity of the brotherhood of faith in the NFL.” – Kent Chevalier 

When somebody does get traded—there’s movements that are made on rosters. Families are impacted, not just entertainers, not just these players. Their families are deeply impacted because they’ve got to report to that new football city the next day, and their family is left to figure out how to move across the country. And so this is where our roles come in, to help them navigate such decisions and come alongside those families, the wives, significant others who are left back in the city and saying, “How can we help you move? How can we help you pack up? What can we do? Can we watch the kids?” And to just come alongside them and serve in that way, because that’s a really unique challenge that these players face that maybe nobody really sees because they’re just seeing the Sunday games, and they might not consider the fact that this is a real business.  

Johnny: And you think about the emotions that’s involved in just playing this game. And the opportunity that we have as chaplains, we’re able to teach this to the guys. We’re able to say, “Okay, yeah, this game is very emotional. But that’s not the end all. The end all is the gifts and the talents that you have and how you stored those gifts back to the Lord in a game that you’re gifted to play.” 

Kent: If your foundation is in your job, in your paycheck, if your foundation is in relationships, all of those things are easily shoved when they’re taken away or they start to crumble. The only foundation that we can encourage these men to have is God at the center and at the foundation of their life. We can help them see beyond the game into their fifties and sixties, that Christ is the only firm foundation that we can help them build their lives on.  

“If your foundation is in your job, in your paycheck, if your foundation is in relationships, all of those things are easily shoved when they’re taken away or they start to crumble. The only foundation that we can encourage these men to have is God at the center and at the foundation of their life.” – Kent Chevalier 

NFL Teams Huddling in Prayer

I first was introduced to Jesus Calling back in 2006. I was serving as the chaplain at that time on the college level at Elon University, and my wife and I were given this as a gift. And it blew us away in just terms of how the devotions were laid out and it made it so much easier as you’re growing spiritually to connect every day with God in just the way that it was laid out. We immediately fell in love with it and got our copies and started giving it to our entire family.  

Kent: Yeah, I was introduced to Jesus Calling when I was a youth pastor, and somebody in the church where we were serving gave Erica and me a copy of Jesus Calling just as a gift, a thank you for pastor appreciation. And we began to read it and very quickly we were like, “Oh, man, this is perfect for students,” because as we’re trying to teach students to have that regular time with God, this was just a great layout for them to do that before they went to school or before they went to bed. And so we just began to introduce parents to this tool for their students. 

Johnny: One thing that I challenge the guys to do, I call it a take five. And really all take five is, is your quiet time. If I can do this for five minutes, if I start my day just blocking out all of the noise, praying to God, communicating with God for five minutes—start with just five minutes—you’d be surprised at how that five minutes turned to ten minutes, that ten minutes turned to fifteen, just communicating with God.  

One of the players two weeks ago said, “Hey, fellas, you need to start taking five. I’ve been doing this since the beginning of the season and it has made a tremendous impact and change in my life.” He shared this with the guys in the Bible study, and it’s just one thing that you sit back and you just say, “Okay, God, thank you for allowing this to happen, because prayer works.” 

Kent: When prayer gets introduced into a guy’s life, it has ripple effects into the rest of his life, not only in football, but also outside of football. When you’re watching these players and coaches on Sundays during those games, at one point, would you just stop and would you pray for that player? Would you pray for their wife or their girlfriend? Would you pray for their families? Because let’s remember that behind these players, these entertainers, these coaches, are incredible families that God loves deeply and He wants to reach them with His love. And so just take some time next time that you’re watching a game of your favorite team, pray for those players and those coaches and those organizations that God would meet them exactly where they are. 

“When you’re watching these players and coaches on Sundays during those games, at one point, would you just stop and would you pray for that player? Would you pray for their wife or their girlfriend? Would you pray for their families? Because let’s remember that behind these players, these entertainers, these coaches, are incredible families that God loves deeply and He wants to reach them with His love.” – Kent Chevalier 

Johnny: I am reading from Jesus Listens, February 29th. And it reads:

Gracious Lord,

Often I pray intensely for something and wait eagerly for the answer. If You grant my request, I respond joyfully and thankfully. But rather than lingering in a grateful attitude, I tend to move on too quickly to asking for the next thing. Lord, instead of experiencing only a short-lived burst of gratitude, I want to learn to remain in an attitude of thankful Joy—letting my gratefulness spill over into the future. 

Kent: 

Help me to train myself to remember Your gracious responses to my requests. I find it beneficial to tell others about  blessings I’ve received from You. Another way of being mindful of answered prayer is to write down the answers someplace where I’ll see them frequently.

Please teach me to remember Your marvelous works with  thankfulness. You’ve shown me that gratefulness blesses me doubly—with joyful memories of answered prayer and with the pleasure of sharing my happiness with You! 

Amen

Narrator: To learn more about Kent, please visit www.kentchevalier.com, and to learn more about Johnny Shelton, follow him on social media. Be sure to pray for the football players as we celebrate the SuperBowl this Sunday. 

Stay tuned to Earl McClellan’s story after a brief message.

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Available Now: The Jesus Calling Commemorative Edition

For over twenty years, readers have discovered the joy of spending time in the presence of the Savior with the much-loved daily devotions in Jesus Calling. 

Now, in the Jesus Calling commemorative edition, you’ll feel comforted by words of hope and encouragement, and be reassured of Jesus’ unending love through author Sarah Young’s words of gentle guidance that are rooted in Scripture. 

In this deluxe edition, you’ll find samples of Sarah’s original handwritten devotionals, twelve new devotions she penned before her passing, letters from Sarah to readers for each month of the year, and a touching tribute from Sarah’s daughter. 

Experience a deeper relationship with Jesus as you savor the presence of the One who understands you perfectly and loves you forever. Find the Jesus Calling commemorative edition today at your favorite retailer or get 30% off your purchase at www.faithgateway.com.

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Our next guest is Earl McClellan, the founder and lead pastor of Shoreline City Church in Dallas, Texas. Earl shares some lessons on how to overcome negative self-talk and the importance of putting God at the center of our lives.

Earl McClellan: My name is Earl McClellan. The most important thing about me is I love Jesus a whole bunch, and more importantly, He loves me. And I’ve got a beautiful wife, three amazing kids, and have the honor of pastoring Shoreline City Church in Dallas, Texas. 

I had been raised in the church by a single mother. She had us going to church when I was seven years old. I gave my heart to Christ at a young age. 

It wasn’t until I was about nineteen years old I realized my great grandfather was one of the founding bishops of the Church of God in Christ. My mom was in the hospital, and one of the nurses saw my last name, wondered if I was connected with him. Come to find out, she was baptized in my great-grandfather’s church, knew him, grew up under his teaching. And I got to hear all these things about him, how gifted a communicator he was, how smart he was, how much the church loved him, how much he loved the people. And it was just this little… my wife would call it a God kiss.

All these years ago, I cannot help but believe Bishop E. F. McClellan was praying for his family, his kids, his grandkids, his great-grandkids, and here I am all these years later just being a part of a much bigger story.

Overcoming Negative Mindsets

God has not given us a spirit of fear. He has given us a spirit of power, love, sound mind, self-discipline. That’s the spirit that He’s given us.

“God has not given us a spirit of fear. He has given us a spirit of power, love, sound mind, self-discipline. That’s the spirit that He’s given us.” – Earl McClellan

Negative mindsets can absolutely suck the life out of an individual. I know they’ve done that to me. What can be tough at times is you can look at a person and you can think that they think nothing but life-giving, positive thoughts. That here we are on this beautiful Jesus Calling Podcast, right? And you can think, Oh, that person, they’re always just thinking Jesus’ thoughts and the kind words from heaven are the only things that are running through their brain.

And that’s the thing about negative mindsets, is they can absolutely ravage even a confident person or a person that looks confident. And that has been a lot of the struggle for me.

I am second guessing myself. I’m not actually agreeing with what God would say about me. I’m more agreeing with maybe what society or culture or my faults or my failures would say about me. And that battle and that fight is a very, very real one. But the beautiful thing is we have a wonderful Savior that’s like, “Hey, you don’t have to fight this alone. I want to fight this battle with you.” And where I was maybe accustomed to trying to win this thing on my own, like, “God, I’m sorry. I don’t have it all together. Once I get it all together, then you’ll really be pleased with me.” And God’s like, “Wait, where did you get that erroneous theology? I want to be in the fight with you. I’m actually the one that gives you the victory.” The victory is found in Christ.

“I was maybe accustomed to trying to win this thing on my own, like, ‘God, I’m sorry. I don’t have it all together. Once I get it all together, then you’ll really be pleased with me.’ And God’s like, ‘Wait, where did you get that erroneous theology? I want to be in the fight with you. I’m actually the one that gives you the victory.’” – Earl McClellan

The negative thoughts, they usually come to us in our own voice, right? You can’t trust the loudest thought that’s in your head because that needs to be vetted by God’s Word, God’s truth, the character of Christ. It’s like, “Hey, you’re an idiot,” and it sounds like you. And you go, “Yeah, I am.” So you’ve got to learn how to discern that and process through that. Anything that is not in alignment with Scripture, I’ve got to go, Oh, where’s this coming from? And I’ve got to make sure I take my thoughts captive as the Scripture says, and bring them into obedience to Christ. 

Working Our Schedule Around God

My nephew said it well the other day. Sometimes we’re trying to fit God into our schedule, but it’d probably be better for us to work our schedule around God. And if we can get to that place where we begin to put Christ at the center and our connection with Him at the center, I think a lot of other problems would be answered. 

“If we can get to that place where we begin to put Christ at the center and our connection with Him at the center, I think a lot of other problems would be answered.” – Earl McClellan 

The Jesus Calling books are so beautiful. I don’t know how it’s possible that you can open a Jesus Calling book on any particular day in any particular season, and it seems as if what is on the pages of that book were written specifically for you on that day. Obviously the Lord’s hand is on it. It’s been beautiful to see how God has used the books in my life and the lives of people that I love and I care about. 

The daily connecting with Jesus in prayer, it’s just a non-negotiable. I’m talking with God, allowing God to speak to my heart as I open up the Bible. This is just a critical piece for any follower of Jesus to develop, to grow, to mature. Like I need air, I need a relationship with God. And whether the prayer is a walk a person takes, whether prayer is while I’m driving in my car, whether the prayer is… I actually have a room that I go to and I’ve got prayer cards and music in that room. Or it’s sitting silently and just allowing some Scriptures to run through my mind. But I’m talking with God, allowing God to speak to my heart as I open up the Bible. 

I love knowledge, I love growing, I want that to happen. But what I really need is that surrender and that connection and that intimacy with Christ. And then allowing my identity in everything I do to flow from that place, rather than it being an add on. 

“I love knowledge, I love growing, I want that to happen. But what I really need is that surrender and that connection and that intimacy with Christ. And then allowing my identity in everything I do to flow from that place, rather than it being an add on.” – Earl McClellan

I think wisdom that we need for our jobs and our careers and our futures, I think a lot of that gets answered not by just scrolling on our phone, but by sitting on our knees or sitting in a chair and allowing our hearts to be open fully to what Christ is wanting to do in any given moment. 

Narrator: To learn more about Earl McClellan, visit www.shorelinecity.church, and be sure to check out his new book, Get Your Spirit Back: Break Free of Negative Self-Talk and Step Fully Into Your Calling, at your favorite retailer

If you’d like to hear more stories about handling life with God’s help, check out our interview with Diane Chew.

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Next week: Johnny & Donnie Van Zant

Next time on the Jesus Calling Podcast, we’ll hear from legendary brothers Johnny Van Zant, the lead vocalist for Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Donnie Van Zant, the co-founder of .38 Special. The pair reflect on the losses their family has weathered together, and how they’ve learned through the ups and downs that God has a greater plan guiding every step. 

Johnny Van Zant: I’m just that little, small person on the earth, you know. Who am I to question what God’s plans are? You know, everything we have from the day we’re born to the day we die, that plan has been put out in front of us for a long, long time. We’re not as intelligent as we think we are as humans. God’s way more intelligent.