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‘God Stood By Me’: Coach Joe Kennedy Shares Trial by Fire With Kirk Cameron

Screenshot from Kirk Cameron on TBN’s YouTube

‘God Stood By Me’: Coach Joe Kennedy Shares Trial by Fire With Kirk Cameron

By Movieguide® Contributor

It started out as an inspiration from the movie FACING THE GIANTS, to pray after his high school team’s football games. Eventually, it led to coach Joe Kennedy winning a Supreme Court case allowing him to continue to do so after the school board tried to shut it down.

“[There’s a] lot of conflicted thoughts and feelings on it. It’s been so long, it’s been seven years going into the eighth football season. So it has been a long time and it seems weird that it’s actually over. But the best part of it is knowing that God stood by me the whole time,” Kennedy told Kirk Cameron on his show TAKEAWAYS.

Kennedy recounts God speaking to him as a new Christian through the movie FACING THE GIANTS, a movie about a high school football coach who uses faith to inspire his team and face his personal struggles.

“I tell you, you don’t get answers from God like that very often. But man, He came down, smacked me in the gut.” Kennedy continues, “I was on my knees, bawling my eyes out and I’m like, ‘I’m in. I will give You the glory after every game, win or lose right there on the battlefield.’”

The coach initially would pray by himself on the football field after the games, and the numbers continued to grow as members of the team asked him if they could join him. Soon team members from the opposing team would be invited, as well as people from the crowd and even the mayor.

“It kind of evolved over the years and you know, this wasn’t a short process. This was eight years of in the making of that happening until the school district obviously went sideways,” Kennedy said.

Things “went sideways” in 2015 when the school district told him that he couldn’t pray with the kids, in fear that they might feel pressured to participate, although completely voluntary according to Kennedy. He eventually went back to praying on the field by himself, but he was told he was not allowed to pray publicly at all on the football field. He refused and was put on administrative leave, leading to fight their decision in court.

Despite the pressure to give into the school district’s demands, even pressure from those close to him out of concern for his job, Kennedy felt that the stakes for freedom of speech were too high.

“I fought to defend the Constitution of the United States, and that actually means something to me,” recalling his time serving as a Marine. “I’ve seen the way the rest of the world is and America is so awesome. And if we are losing our God-given rights here in America, man, there’s no hope. So I was like, hey, even though I’m not on active duty anymore, guess what? I can still fight for our Constitution and stand up for what’s right.”

His perseverance paid off this June when the court ruled 6-3 in his favor allowing him the right to pray on the field and allowing him to return to work at the school, which he hopes to soon, but that might not be until 2023 partly because of the football season already starting this year.

Kennedy spoke of the outpouring of support, saying that at one point there were thousands of people that came out to the football field to pray with the coach.

A recent survey regarding the Supreme Court’s decision seems to be in agreement with that support according to a recent Movieguide® article:

A new survey revealed that parents advocate for prayer at public school sports events.

The Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research recently conducted the study following the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling last summer in favor of Washington state high school football coach Joe Kennedy.

During his tenure as coach, Kennedy prayed with his team at the 50-yard line, an action that the Bremerton School District started to fight in 2015.

However, the new survey shows that parents stand with Kennedy and other coaches who choose to lead their sports teams in prayer.

The study discovered that 54% of Americans approved of the court’s ruling, which ended in a 6-3 vote in favor of Kennedy. According to the survey, 22% disapproved of the verdict.

“Solid majorities think a coach leading a team in prayer (60%), a player leading a team in prayer (64%) and a coach praying on the field without asking the team to join in (71%) should all be allowed in public high school sports,” the AP reported.

Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.


Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.