EAST ORANGE, N.J. — The Rev. Dwight Gill figures if there is one thing that will bring more men to church, it’s football.
So one Sunday a year at New Hope Baptist Church, NFL doesn’t stand for National Football League, but rather for New Found Life.
This year’s service drew nearly 2,000 people, including a bevy of newcomers who were in for a worship service that was anything but ordinary.
“There’s more to it than just a church service,” said Michael Carrington, 48, of Newark. Carrington said he is not a regular churchgoer but was so impressed with what he saw and the spirit of the congregation that he wants to become a member.
He stood in awe, looking at scores of men wearing their favorite football jerseys over their slacks and suits. In the church lobby and sanctuary, football banners and posters were plastered on the walls and hung from the rafters. Between worshipful songs of praise, the congregants broke out in a stadium wave, briefly standing and throwing their arms in the air.
