The lights dimmed and the crowd grew louder. Amid the chaos of preparation happening all around in the locker room, a still, small voice said, Pray for them. The group huddled together, sharing a prayer for the first time as teammates – and some as first-time professional wrestlers. The prayer ended, the men took one last look around, and then they climbed into the ring.

As a child, Benjamin was enthralled with all things professional wrestling, from the memorabilia lining his walls to the countless matches he watched on TV. But his first love was Jesus and serving him. That passion for Jesus developed into a calling, which led Benjamin to become the pastor at Cramlington Church of the Nazarene in England back in 2017. But shortly after accepting the role, he felt a call that revived a childhood dream. Jacob wrestled with God in Genesis 32, but God was calling Benjamin to wrestle for Him.

Benjamin’s desire to combine his love of wrestling with ministry began years ago while listening to a sermon that asked the question, “Where is your front line?” Later, as he sat in his church office writing a sermon, he audibly heard the question again from God: “Where is your front line?” As a pastor, Benjamin had assumed that his church was his front line. But after several days of feeling unease around the question, he realized where his front line needed to be. When he approached his wife Sophie about the decision he felt God was calling him to make, Benjamin was confident that God was calling him to step back from being a full time pastor in order to pursue wrestling. Although her initial response was skeptical, they both knew it was the right step forward. And Sophie was the one who put together the plan to get him prepared for this next step.

Soon, Benjamin found a nearby wrestling school and began attending. He quickly gained a reputation due to his vocational calling and became widely known on the wrestling circuit as ‘Rev’—now his professional wrestling name. On the day of his first match, Benjamin and his wife received the keys to their first home, further reassuring the couple that this calling was God-given. During that event, Benjamin heard God clearly calling him to be brave and courageous and pray for the guys before the show. He stepped out in faith, asking them to huddle for a prayer, and everyone readily agreed. That same night, two wrestlers approached him after the show for personal prayer. Since then, he has earned a reputation as someone other wrestlers can turn to for prayer or to share their troubles.

Benjamin says his motivation for merging discipleship with wrestling comes from simply wanting to be salt and light for Jesus. He seeks to emulate Jesus by living in community with those he wants to serve and disciple. Benjamin now helps out the local wrestling circuit as a fitness instructor at his academy. He’s all-in with the wrestling community and wants to prove to fellow wrestlers that he’s committed just like they are in order to gain their trust and respect.

Recently, Benjamin was appointed as the first United Kingdom ambassador for the Christian outreach group “I am Second,” which partners with coaches and athletes passionate about sharing the gospel.

What started as a young boy collecting wrestling action figures turned into a man with a heart for discipleship and a passion for leading others to Christ.

“God has instilled passions in all of us that He wants to use to build his kingdom,” Benjamin says. “If we give them into God’s hands, He can use them.”

– article by Emily Zamora