Jonah-Like Soccer Player Yields to God’s Will to Become Pastor

By Apr 28, 2023

Former soccer pro Aaron Tredway recalls a comical story from his marriage proposal, recounting in an interview with CBN’s Faithwire how he pledged during the proposition to his then-girlfriend: “One thing I will never do is be a pastor.”

As the saying goes, “People make plans, and God laughs.”

Flashforward 13 years, and Tredway, author of the book, “Don’t Miss Your Life: The Secret to Significance,” is lead pastor of Fellowship City Church, in Cleveland, Ohio.

“It’s not that I ever had anything against the pastorate,” he said. “I love the church. I’ve always had a heart for the local church. I just felt that God had created me to serve in a different way.”

Tredway became a Christian at age 19 while in college. He found Jesus after reading C.S. Lewis’ iconic “Mere Christianity” and subsequently recounted what he didn’t realize then was the sinner’s prayer.

“On my own, in my dorm room, responding to the Gospel … [the] first time I ever heard the Gospel message,” he said. “And I said to God in my first prayer, ‘I’ll follow Jesus on three conditions — [I]never want to be a pastor, a missionary or a public speaker. On those three conditions, I’m all in, God.'”

Clearly, the Lord had other plans.

After Tredway retired from soccer and moved back to the U.S. with his wife, his journey to the pulpit took form. He spent a long time attending a struggling church and serving as an elder when God started tugging at his heart.

At the time, he was already starting to speak and write, using his experience in sports to reach others.

At first, he said the Holy Spirit’s call to the pastorate was something he didn’t understand — until he fully dove into it and realized how the Lord planned to use his life. Now, he’s helping others discover meaning and refine the aims of their own lives.

Success and purpose are just two topics Tredway addresses in his book, “Don’t Miss Your Life.”

Find out more about “Don’t Miss Your Life: The Secret to Significance.”

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