November 3, 2021
MINNEAPOLIS— The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA, www.fca.org) is inducting four partners and supporters of the world’s largest international sports ministry into its Hall of Champions (HOC) this year.
Among the four inductees is Bob Williams, a true pioneer who cofounded FCA in the state of Minnesota, the first African American to play for the Minneapolis Lakers, and an active member of his local church and Boys and Girls Club.
“Bob Williams not only made contributions to the sports he loves, but also to the communities and teams to which he was committed,” said FCA President and CEO Shane Williamson. “We are immensely grateful for his service to Jesus Christ through FCA, as we welcome him to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ Hall of Champions Class of 2021.”
In the 1960’s, Williams and other professional athletes in the area gave considerable time and effort to growing FCA’s visibility in Minnesota. A group of them hosted the first-ever FCA Camp in Hudson, Wisconsin, which led to the formation of FCA Huddles at the University of Minnesota and Richfield High School. Williams helped formally establish Minnesota FCA in 1970, and was inducted into FCA Minnesota’s Hall of Faith in 1998.
Bob passed away at home in Rosemount, Minnesota on January 19, 2021 and is survived by his wife Marietta.
“Everything the FCA Minnesota ministry is today is only possible because of the humble sacrifice of Mr. Williams and others like him who had a vision for reaching young people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the avenue of sports,” one FCA member commented.
Williams joins Gary Williamson, Chang-won Kim, and Diana Myers as inductees of FCA’s 2021 Hall of Champions. They have worked tirelessly to further the FCA vision: to see the world transformed by Jesus Christ through the influence of coaches and athletes. FCA Hall of Champions honorees over the years have consisted of a mix of coaches, athletes and volunteers, including sports greats such as Tony Dungy, Tom Landry, Tom Osborne and Roger Staubach, to name a few.
The Fellowship of Christian Athletes Hall of Champions was established in 1991. With the new 2021 class, there are now 126 godly coaches and athletes plus board members and volunteers who have received this special tribute. They make up a group of FCA servant-leaders who have faithfully served Christ through the avenue of FCA. Their commitment to the Lord’s work has impacted many millions over the years. They are a body of teammates in Christ who have demonstrated a consistent commitment to the support of FCA, nominated by staff and board members and elected by a selection committee.
Click here to read more about the Class of 2021 and to view a list of previous Hall of Champions inductees.
Read more about Fellowship of Christian Athletes here, visit FCA’s web site at www.fca.org, its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/fcafans or its Twitter feed @fcanews.
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To interview a Fellowship of Christian Athletes leader, contact Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, Jeff Tolson, 610.584.1096, ext. 108, or Deborah Hamilton, ext. 102.
