By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
Former Northwest Missouri State football player and former Northwest team chaplain Marcellus Casey, who's in his sixth year as team chaplain for the Kansas City Chiefs, was the keynote speaker at the ninth annual Martin Luther King Jr. "Solutions Summit" at Word of Life Church in St. Joseph Monday.
The event was put on by St. Joseph's MidCity Excellence Community Learning Center.
Casey, who's worked in ministry for 17 years, was complimentary of the musical performances put on Monday by YouthCity Gospel and MCE's St. Joe Stixx Drumline.
"It was just powerful for me to hear these children sing about the Kingdom of God," Casey said, "and to hear them raise their voices to God. That moved me in a special way today."
Casey's speech had two main messages - be a neighbor, and give a name. He referenced the book of Genesis when he talked about giving names.
"It's our opportunity as leaders in this community to name these children," Casey said. "God gave us the power to name things in Genesis when He told us to give names to everything around us. He gave us that power, that word."
Casey also used the opportunity to encourage people to volunteer with MCE, whose mission is to "transition at-risk youth into adulthood for academic success, emotional stability and to discover purpose and value through Christian-based principles."
"These children today minister to us, through their faith, their belief, through things they're learning," Casey pointed out. "We all have the opportunity to get online and volunteer with MCE."
Casey, a former Northwest Missouri State football player and former team chaplain for coach Mel Tjeerdsma, is not only the team chaplain for the Kansas City Chiefs, but also for the University of Illinois' football and men's basketball teams.
Casey's parting message Monday again hit on his two themes of giving names and being a neighbor.
"You have the opportunity to be a neighbor and give names," he said. "I pray in the name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit and by the authority of God the Father, that He would use you to be a neighbor and to give names in powerful ways."
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