Who Are you, Coach?

That is one of the most common emails I receive.  At the risk of a little shameless self-promotion, I think I have been asked that question enough that it is time to respond.    As one whose voice seems to be gaining more traction in the cultural war, allow me to pull back the curtains and let you peek into my soul.

I am a 53 year old former high school football coach who, in 1997, was minding his own business, and cranking out championship football teams at a small mid-western town in Ohio, when the goon squad known as the ACLU was unceremoniously invited into our town by a group of petty parents who were upset that their little boys were not receiving all of the attention and accolades that the parents felt were deserved.  Once the ACLU bottle was opened, the genie became like smog that enveloped our school, and community. 

Radically born-again in 1987, I was honored that the Lord had called me to the fight.  Although a pew-sitting, selfish Christian, I learned quickly that if we were to turn back the hand of the oppressor, sitting in the pew and praying for God’s grace would not be enough.  As I had shared with our teams over the years, it was time to take what we had learned to the field.  No battle, no victory. 

I thank God for the ACLU.  They dynamited my lazy hind-end out of the pew. 

After a two-year battle for my 1^st Amendment right to pray, forty-eight hours before we were to appear in Federal Court, the ACLU offered us an out-of-court settlement.  That’s right, despite what the ACLU may claim, they didn’t have the decency to give me my day in court.  They huffed, and puffed, but they couldn’t blow the house down.  Instead, they made as much noise as they could, scared school boards all across the land, and slipped out the back door under the cover of darkness.  They strong-armed our school’s insurance company into paying their legal fees, (the insurance company wasn’t interested in truth, only in money), claimed victory, and moved on to other yellow-bellied victims. The ACLU is a paper tiger.

Prayer never stopped on our football field, not once during the two year period.  I didn’t lose my job, which is what most people think, but instead walked away from it.  My last year in coaching our team was 10-0, I was Coach of the Year, and my son, the QB, was Player of the Year, passing for over 2500 yards and 28 touchdowns. 

After twenty-five years in the system, the Lord had other plans for me.  I walked away from coaching football, my teaching career and cozy retirement benefits and gave my life to “coaching the church”.  Lord knows the church needs it.  We started Pass the Salt Ministries and will travel wherever we find a listening ear and a open pulpit.

Having repeatedly heard Edmund Burke’s quote “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing” I decided to join the fray.  Using a local radio show I became to cry-out for Christian men who were willing to stand and fight.  Out of this cry came Minutemen United  a band of like-minded Christian brothers and sisters who are not afraid to take our faith to the streets.  Over the past five years we have:

• Successfully battled entry level pornography in Meijers Department stores.
• Fought for the 10 Commandment displays in Ohio.
• Journeyed to Alabama and defended Judge Roy Moore and the Rock.
• Helped get Ohio’s Marriage amendment on the ballot.
• Spent a week in Fla. Defending Terri Schiavo.
• Kept a steady presence at our local abortion clinic.
• Passed out “Living Water” bottles at Columbus’ Gay Pride parade
• Transported and distributed $7 million in supplies to Katrina Victims.
• Helped homeless couples find housing and jobs.
• Stood for Truth in Ohio, Alabama, Washington, Boston, Philadelphia, St. Louis, San Diego, Florida, Connecticut, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Denver, Kansas City, and many more.

Have Truth.  Will travel.  We believe that there are certain battles that the church must fight, and we see what happens when we trust those battles to “republicans” or “conservatives”. 

My wife Michele and I have been happily married for 26 years.  We have one son and two daughters.  Michele currently teaches handicapped children to help keep food on the table so that I can be free to chase the Goliaths of today.

Call it arrogance, but I am convinced that the Lord has raised us up for such a time as this.  As I have made my life more available to the Lord He has begun to use me in a powerful way.  As a football coach I was trained to spot weaknesses.  I reviewed film regularly and had a knack for picking out weaknesses in the opponent, as well as the weaknesses of our own team.  So that is what I do for the church.  Some like it, some don’t, but I try and point out why we are being ineffective and where we are vulnerable.  Like the three monkeys, hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil, most of the church is not interested in winning….only in surviving.

Our ministry operates off of the donations of folks like you.  Currently a small operation with a large impact, we have great plans for the Big God that we serve.  But we need your help. 

I have just published my first book A Season Ordered by the Lord.  This story is a historical chronology of our first championship season in 1990.  It is a true story, full of football, and full of Faith.  It will inspire you to rise above the everyday obstacles of life.  Football fans will love it, but you must not love football to enjoy it.  We would be honored to send you a free book for a donation of any amount.  Donate

Pass The Salt would love to come to your church.  If you are reading this, then you are already awake and understand the circumstances we find ourselves in.  Allow us to help you put a game plan together that will impact your community.  Here is an email from a seminar we just conducted last week.

  The results began on Saturday when my friend Adam said that you gave him so much to think about.  You really impressed my brother so much that he couldn’t stop talking about you. Another fellow from my church got up to sing on Sunday evening and testified to this. He said," I made every excuse as why not to go to the conference, but decided to go anyway, I am so GLAD I did because God has challenged me to be a better husband and father, and also to be more involved in the Christian battle instead of sitting in the pew. I made some promises to God and I know he will help me to keep them".  Sunday morning  my brother Mike accepted Christ into his heart and became a Christian, his reply was that He was so under conviction Saturday he couldn’t wait to get to church on Sunday and make a public commitment, and he came back to church on Sunday night.  I am so thankful that God used this event to challenge our men at our church to play ball or get off the team. Our guys really got charged up and many of them have told me how God has challenged them through your ministry.----Robert

See, some of our pastors say all the right things, but they really need help in putting it into action.  I think they are good men, but they really don’t know what to do.  That is where we come in. We come alongside pastors and help them build more effective teams.  Because many churches lack a plan, and are afraid of ridicule and failure, they are content to hide in the safety of their stained-glass fortresses.  To paraphrase Edmund Burke, it is time for good men to do something.  The time for talk is over.

No group is too small.  If you believe that God deserves a better effort than we are currently giving  then give us a call.   

I am passionate about what I believe, and like a good coach I will inspire you to strive to be more than you ever thought you could be.  There is nothing like a session with “The Coach” to get your church moving forward.

We have big plans ahead!  We serve a powerful God.  It is time the church acted like it!

By Coach Dave Daubenmire Email: coach@ptsalt.com Click here for bio and archived articles