Karate At Church INTRO: What began as a way to drop some weight and lower his blood pressure has dramatically increased one pastor’s ministry. Kim Riemland reports how an ancient practice has people flocking to his church. SCRIPT: (Locator: McKinleyville, CA) If your mother taught you to be quiet in church…she probably didn’t bring you to Rev. Rod Brayfindley’s church. Being quiet will earn you extra push-ups. Wearing karate clothes in the church’s fitness center, a few steps from the sanctuary, Brayfindley might not fit your perception of a pastor – but that’s the point.
The Rev. Ron Brayfindley/Pastor, Church of the Joyful Healer: “This is not Bible study or Sunday school. On the other hand, because we’re so careful not to make it into kind of an overt evangelism program, what happens is people meet a pastor! The next thing you know, they feel like they’ve sort of connected to a pastor.”
Those connections are increasing. The United Methodist pastor began this outreach ministry seven years ago with just three students. It’s grown to 120 students, and he’s adding more all the time. Terry Pambianco/Karate Student: “I was just asking someone the other day, do you ever stop getting sore? But it’s a good kind of sore!” Logan McKinnon/Karate Student: “Before I started coming here I just sat on the couch and played video games.” Now, 14-year-old Logan McKinnon is a brown belt – and a churchgoer. Logan McKinnon/Karate Student: “I actually started to go to church after about a couple of months here. I thought hey, I like Rod, maybe I’ll try church out. That changed my life a lot. Now, I go to church on Sundays and I come and train here. It’s really changed me around.” They come here to train their bodies and minds. This pastor hopes they’ll come back for even more. The Rev. Rod Brayfindley: “It’s about whole health – spirit, mind, everything you’ve got.”
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The Church of the Joyful Healer is in McKinleyville, California. Also see: Hai-yaah! Pastor uses karate for Christ.
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