FAQ: 2025 Global Congress on Sport and Christianity

Like many conferences in higher education, this conference features two main components: keynote talks from invited speakers, and breakout sessions organized around particular themes that allow participants to make a presentation based on expertise, research, and/or best practices. In order to ensure that the quality of each breakout session is high, proposals are submitted and then vetted by a committee of experts before it is allowed to be included in the conference program.

Anyone doing work at the intersection of sport and Christianity! This includes scholars and academics as well as coaches, athletic directors, sports chaplains, and many other practitioners. Please see the Call for Proposals / Papers for instructions and additional information.

While there is not necessarily a one-size-fits-all approach, a successful proposal will usually include:

• an introduction to the proposed topic (why the potential presenter will be presenting on the topic or why the topic is important);
• the potential presenter’s argument, big idea, or key insight;
• a brief outline of the main points to be shared;
• the sources, methods, or material used/studied which led to the potential presentation’s argument or thesis. This can be textual (books, journal articles, data collected, etc), theoretical (based on well-known and/or industry-established models), or experiential (reflections on one’s own experiences or the experiences of others in relevant fields).

When individual presentations are submitted, the conference organizers will seek to group them together into coherent group panels centered around a similar topic. When group panels are submitted, you and your fellow panelists are doing the grouping ahead of time. This can provide a greater sense of coherence to the panel, with presentations that are clearly connected and with presenters who have already established a collaborative relationship. Submitting group panels can also provide a higher chance that your proposal will be accepted. For instructions, see the Call for Proposals/Papers.

Yes. The conference assumes that some of the individual presentations will be co-authored and/or co-presented. Individual presentations, no matter how many co-authors are listed, must be completed in the 20 minutes allocated. Please note that each co-author of a presentation must register to attend the conference (see below).

Yes! The conference organizers assume that not all attendees will present (or even submit a proposal to present). Indeed, the conference welcomes anyone with an interest in the intersection of sport and Christianity, whether one is making a presentation or not.

Registration will open in February 2025 and close at the end of June, or when all conference slots have been filled. Please see the conference website for registration details.

Yes. All attendees must pay the registration fee to attend. The registration fee includes four meals and also snacks/refreshments provided throughout the conference. Please note that the submission of a proposal includes an implicit agreement to attend if the proposal is accepted.

This is an in-person event. All attendees will be live at the event. As such, all presentations must be made in person.

In limited cases with a high degree of need, it may be possible to receive some scholarship support to attend. Inquiries about scholarships or financial assistance can be made to conference organizers Paul Putz or Isaac Lee by emailing fsi@baylor.edu.

In the past the GCSC has typically averaged around 200 attendees, with a high of 250 people attending the 2nd GCSC. We expect similar numbers for this conference.

To learn more about the previous versions of the GCSC, check out SPORT. FAITH. LIFE. where you’ll find blog posts and podcast episodes featuring work done by those at the intersection of sport and Christianity, many of whom attended and presented at previous conferences.

The GCSC does not have an institutional home, and instead is led by individuals from a range of institutions who care deeply about community at the intersection of sport and Christianity. The three previous versions of the GCSC were hosted by universities, and the 4th Global Congress is no different. While the Faith and Sports Institute at Baylor’s Truett Seminary is hosting this version, the 5th Global Congress on Sport and Christianity will be in 2028 and will be hosted by a new institution.

Yes, room blocks for conference attendees have been reserved at several downtown Waco hotels. Details on travel and lodging will be provided in the coming months as we get closer to the opening of registration in early 2025.