Ron Brown is going to be busy on Saturday, and he’ll love every minute of it.
Along with several other contributors, Brown has worked hard for the past year in preparation for Freedom Conquest 2009.
Brown said the event is for men and boys to come together and strengthen or enhance their relationship with the Lord.
“We don’t know of any other event in the state of Nebraska where it just makes a call to men across the state to come together in the name of Jesus Christ,” Brown said. “This is a statewide call to Nebraska’s men. We felt that we should host an event to invite Christian men to reignite together.”
The conquest is an all-day event that will take place at Pershing Auditorium starting with registration at 8:30 a.m. Brown is speaking and co-leading an opening worship at 10 a.m. to more than 4,000 men who have already registered.
Then his day gets busier.
After speaking to the masses, Brown goes to stand on a much larger stage – in front of 76,000 or more, to be exact. Brown will coach a side in the Nebraska Red-White Spring Game.
The 4,000-plus congregation inside Pershing will also find their way to Memorial Stadium, but in a much more organized manner. The group of men will walk side by side in a Freedom Walk to the stadium to take seats at the 2009 Spring Game, which is included in the $30 tickets that can still be purchased for the conquest.
Brown said it should be a sight to see.
“We knew that 80,000 people would be coming to the Spring Game,” Brown said. “God has given men a special call to leadership. We wanted to invite 5,000 men from across the state, and we’ve got 4,100 tickets sold. I think we’ll hit 5,000 because we’re going to get a number of walk-ins.”
Brown is just one of several NU speakers that will talk to the large congregation. Athletic director Tom Osborne as well as running back Roy Helu Jr. will be addressing the group of men after the game.
Helu Jr. is one of a few players on the football team that is outspoken about his religious stance.
The injured I-back said God will always have a role in what he does on the field – and how he acts around his fellow teammates, too.
“It’s like having church every day, having my brothers on the team,” Helu Jr. said. “Every time we come across each other we always ask each other how the day is going and what things we’ve read and encourage each other.”
Helu Jr. has been able to grow even further religiously at Nebraska under Brown.
The tight ends coach is associated with several different religious groups and has enjoyed a stint as a radio talk show host on a show called “Going Deep” that aired on Lincoln’s ESPN Radio.
Once Brown was brought in under coach Bo Pelini, the football team became another group on his evangelizing agenda. His leadership has branched off to more than just the star NU back.
“He’s a guy that is definitely someone you can look to,” quarterback Zac Lee said. “It’s not necessarily for everyone, but there’s a definite group of guys that gravitate towards him. Everybody has their own way going about it.”
Lee also said he’s glad religion is something that influences Helu Jr. the way it does.
As for him, the heavy favorite at quarterback said he feels that it’s a personal thing that people take care of in their own way – including himself.
On Saturday, nearly 5,000 men and boys will choose to “take care of it” publicly at the Pershing Auditorium. Although the event is for men only, Brown said it wouldn’t have been made possible without the work of Lisa Weeks, a woman who’s been in Brown’s ministry for years and has done a lot of legwork for the conquest.
It’s an event that will be surely noticed in conjunction with the Spring Game, and Brown can’t wait for the day to come.
“I think the most amazing thing is that we started from scratch and sold 4,100 tickets,” Brown said. “We just thank the Lord for the way it’s gone out. I’m excited about it.”
spencerschubert@dailynebraskan.com
Ron Brown combines religion, football
Published: Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Updated: Thursday, April 16, 2009
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