In the mid 1970's a group from the UK were invited to attend a sports ministry conference in the USA. On their return they decided to set up a Christian ministry to the world of sport in the UK and in 1975 the Christian Sportsmen's Outreach was launched.
Over the next five years attempts were made to identify Christians in the world of sport, particularly in professional sport. Conferences were held at Bisham Abbey (1976) and Crystal Palace (1977). The first sports dinners were held in London and the name "Christians in Sport" was adopted.
In 1980 Christians in Sport became a registered charity. In 1984 Andrew Wingfield Digby was appointed to a salaried position as Director and a Christians in Sport office was established in Oxford.
Working with professional sportspeople had been at the heart of Christians in Sport since its foundational London dinners and as a result of this aspect of the work Wingfield Digby was appointed as a chaplain at the Seoul Olympics in 1988.
Seoul in 1988 also saw Christians in Sport's international work established with Wingfield Digby participating in the World Sports Ministry conference in South Korea preceding the 1988 Olympics. During this period an international sports network emerged as the steering group for international partnerships in sports ministry, with Christians in Sport being involved at an executive capacity from its formation. Closer to home, in 1989 some thirty people from the UK attended the first European sports ministry conference in Austria, out of which the European Christian Sports Union (ECSU) developed.
By 1990 the increasing demands of the work saw Stuart Weir appointed to work as a second Director alongside Wingfield Digby, a post which he occupied with distinction for fifteen years.
Working with university sportspeople was an important aspect in the early years. Wingfield Digby founded the Oxford University Sportsmen's Christian Fellowship whilst a student there in 1977. In 1988 the first Student Conference was held in the UK and in 1991 Julia Sammons was appointed as the first staff member to work with students.
1995 saw another important development when the first youth sports camp (called Sports Plus) was held at Cokethorpe School with about 30 teenagers under the leadership of Steve Connor and Brian Mason. Mason, having joined the staff in 1995 then went on over the next ten years to develop work amongst adult sportspeople as he served local churches throughout the country.
With the ongoing development of the work amongst professional athletes, university students, young people and adults the need to multiply and train leaders for the work became more apparent. In 1999 a one-year post graduate training scheme was introduced in Cambridge before becoming the Sports Leadership and Inter-Cultural Studies course at All Nations Christian College, Hertfordshire. This post graduate 'Internship' is now based at the Christians in Sport head office in Bicester. The Gap Year 'Academy' scheme for school leavers was also launched in 2005.
In 2002 Andrew Wingfield Digby, after eighteen years as Director, left the staff to become vicar of St Andrew's Church, Oxford. Graham Daniels, who had been on the staff since 1989, was appointed as General Director, with Keith Proctor, who had been appointed in 2000, continuing as Managing Director.
In the last seven years the challenge has been to build on a great legacy and to take advantage of the growing number of opportunities within youth, university, adult and professional sport as well as training leaders, supporting churches and partnering in the development of sports mission around the world.
After a process of evaluation and review lasting from 2002, January 2004 saw the publication and implementation of Game Plan 1 and its priorities. This operational plan was for the period 1st January 2004 to 31st August 2008. More recently, the most current priorities of Christians in Sport for the five year period 1st September 2008 to 31st August 2013 are set out in Game Plan 2.
