The two are connected in that in my voluntary role since 2000 in sending each subsequent Olympic host city an "Olympic Village Religious Services Protocol of Ideas" - the document was welcomed by the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Village Services Director and likewise the London 2012 Olympic Village Services Director.
In 2009 my wife Delma and I met with the Vancouver Winter Olympic Village Director and subsequently the Reverend David Wells the Head of the Multi-Faith Centre in the Vancouver Olympic Village.
Both Reverend David Wells and Reverend John Boyers have been mainstays for well over 25 years in Sports ministry respectively in Canada and the United Kingdom.
For as long as memory serves Reverend David Wells has served at Olympic Games Village ministry and Reverend John Boyers founded "Serving Sport through Chaplaincy" (SCORE) three years after I established the Sports and Leisure Ministry in Australia. I first met John Boyers in 1982 at the second world congress on Sports Mission held in Hong Kong.
In my 1986 UK Study Tour on Sports Ministry it was my privilege to spend several days with Reverend John Boyers who was at that time was the Chaplain at Watford Football Club (Elton John owned the team at that time). John Boyers has been for many years now the Chaplain at Manchester United Football Club (Soccer).
A Baptist Minister like myself, Reverend John Boyers established SCORE throughout the United Kingdom. Over all these years he's been overseeing the negotiations of chaplaincies in sports.
Interestingly Reverend John Boyers founded SCORE over against a backdrop of dissension from some within "Christians in Sport UK" who held a different philosophy of sports ministry, not dissimilar to what occurred in Australia a few years earlier. I established Australia's Sports Chaplaincy (Sports and Leisure Ministry) within the InterChurch Trade and Industry Mission (ITIM) under Heads of Churches rather than within a Christian fellowship of sports persons, who like "Christians in Sport UK" held a different philosophy of sports ministry.
At that time I counselled Reverend John Boyers to forge ahead to follow his anointing and vision from the Lord. All these years down the track has illustrated the Lord's blessing and touch upon his ministry.
In 2010 when this Olympic Village Religious Services Protocol of Ideas was received by the London Olympic Villages Services Director, phones calls and Emails went back and forth as the purpose of the document was advisory and consultative.
When I was advised earlier this year (March) by the London Olympic Villages Services Director team that they were in serious discussions with Reverend John Boyers (National Director SCORE), I was delighted.
I responded with very affirmative correspondence providing some background to the relevance of the international network of such national leaders in sports ministry, illustrated by Reverend David Wells heading the Vancouver Winter Olympics multi-faith centre.
Yesterday the London Olympic Villages Services Director advised me they had now appointed Reverend John Boyers to the position as Head of the Multi-Faith Centre in the 2012 London Olympic Village.