Rick Patrick
rick@greenepublishing.com
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2, NIV)
Just a quick glance at Boot Hill Stadium on many Friday nights during the fall will give you a glimpse of just how popular football is in a town such as Madison. Often, the young men who play the game are treated almost like royalty in small towns across the country. Many of these athletes, the fortunate ones who are incredibly gifted and put in the work, find a way to use those football skills to expand their educational opportunities by gaining a scholarship to play football at the college level. Then, football fans pack college stadiums or become glued to television sets everywhere to watch their favorite college team play. Then, after that, we spend Sunday afternoons watching and admiring grown men who, just a few years earlier, were youngsters playing a game on Friday nights, hoping to use their football skills as a “ticket out.”
But what happens when one of those young men suddenly feels called to take a different path? That is exactly what happened when 18-year-old Ty Jarvis, a 2022 graduate of Madison County High School (MCHS) decided to take a different path to a higher calling. Jarvis was a three-sport student athlete, playing football, basketball and baseball, while attending MCHS. It was his football skills, playing linebacker for the Cowboys, that caught the attention of the coaching staff at North Carolina Wesleyan University. In the spring of 2022, just before graduation, Jarvis was offered a football scholarship by the school and he signed to play football. At the time, Jarvis had plans to one day open his own restaurant. At the same time, Jarvis had become involved in the “Echo” student ministry at Madison Church of God.
All that began to change during the summer of that same year. While attending church camp, Jarvis began to feel a quiet voice, telling him to reconsider his previous decisions. “Something just didn't feel quite right about going to North Carolina,” said Jarvis. “During that time, I really began to pray about everything. I prayed for direction.” According to Jarvis, the more he prayed and the more he listened to that voice, his path began to come into focus. “I made the decision to give up that football scholarship and go into the ministry with the Church of God,” said Jarvis. “I feel confident that it was the right decision because, since then, things have been falling into place. My brother said, 'You're going to have to find a job, now. We happen to have an opening where I work (at Mortenson Solar).'”
Jarvis recently had an interview with other Church of God ministers. Having received approval from that group of ministers, Jarvis will now begin his coursework to become an ordained minister. The next year or so will find Jarvis taking classes in an independent study type of environment. He will study the coursework, making occasional trips to DeLand, Fla., to take exams. Each step forward in his process will bring with it, more in-depth and challenging academic study. “The coursework is college-level work,” said Jarvis. It is Jarvis' eventual goal to become an ordained minister and work in the area of youth ministry.
“Ty is a fantastic young man,” said Jason Fletcher, MCHS Baseball Coach. “He was a great teammate that was always positive and smiling. He was an exceptional student and did things the right way inside of school. I’m proud of Ty and I’m glad he’s a Cowboy. He is going to do nothing but excel as he enters this next phase of life. Cowboy baseball wishes him nothing but the best. Great kid, great heart.”
“I asked Ty 'why? Why give up football? Why give up your dream?'” said Madison Church of God Pastor Jason Justus. “He said 'because God has called me to help people know Him more and to help teens with their decisions.' I first met Ty back in 17 when we began our upward league at the church and when he started coming to our youth group and he’s always been very respectful and just a great kid. Yes, he’s made mistakes, but you without sin cast the first stone. I cannot because I’m not perfect. But, two years ago, I felt God tell me [Ty] was destined and anointed for His work, what that was? I don't know, I felt in my heart it was youth, but God did not tell me that, He just said 'I’ve anointed him.' So I knew it, and then Bishop Kelvin Cobaris came in and God's Word brought confirmation without Bishop Cobaris ever talking to me, told him the same thing basically that God has called [Ty] and anointed him to do His work! Of course, I had COVID, watching TV. I was crying because I knew it, I knew it. Ty is special and for a teenager to say goodbye to football, to play in college and 'hello God, I’ll go where you send me' is so special. I couldn’t be more proud of him.”
Ty is the son of Dee and Kristi Jarvis, of Madison.