Khari Willis, a safety for the Indianapolis Colts, told his followers on Instagram yesterday that he is retiring from the NFL. He said that he made the decision “after much prayer and thought” and will spend the rest of his life “advancing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” Willis has talked about his Christian faith in interviews and speeches. What religion is he, and has Khari said which church he goes to?
Khari Willis
What religion is Khari Willis?
Khari Willis, who used to play safety for the Colts, is a Christian. When he announced yesterday that he is going into ministry, he said that he wanted to spread “the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Several Christian news sources have reported on Khari’s retirement. One of them, Premier Christian News, asks its readers to “pray for this issue” and gives them a template for doing so.
Black Christian News says that it is “unique” that Khari Willis quit the NFL after three seasons to work in religious ministry.
But what do we know about Willis’s Christian group and what his life of ministry will look like?
Khari Willis has never said which church he’s part of
No, but he did go to Lumen Christi, a Catholic high school in Jackson, Michigan. This makes it more likely, but doesn’t prove, that Khari Willis is a Catholic.
In January 2020, he gave the keynote speech at the Jackson College Martin Luther King Jr. dinner at Victor Cuiss Fieldhouse. He talked about the health problems he and his partner had with their two newborns and how his church helped them through it.
Getty Images has a photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire.
“During this time,” he said, “I had to be a man of principles and not let my feelings get the best of me.”
At the time, JTV said that Willis and his girlfriend got help “from his family and church members” when they were having trouble.
His Christian faith is a ‘personal journey’
In 2018, Sports Illustrated wrote an article about how Khari Willis feels about religion and faith.
Willis told the outlet, “My faith is a journey for me.” “On this path of faith, I’ve had many ups and, to be honest, some downs as well. But if I keep doing it, I’ll get better and better at it.”
He went on: “Faith is important to me. Sometimes it’s hard to believe in something you can’t see, especially in this dark world. But I think my faith keeps me grounded and helps me stay true to myself.”
LJ Scott, a senior running back, said this about Khari Willis: “He’s all about God. When I was a kid, I used to go to church, but I kind of stopped. When I saw Khari, he reminded me of that, and I was like, “Man, I’m so glad I met you.” He’s a great leader and a great source of inspiration. Whatever you need, he’ll be right there.”
Fans, other players, and head coach Frank Reich have all shown their support for Khari’s choice to leave the NFL and become a minister.
