DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The uniqueness of having served as a chaplain for both the Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman football teams sets up the Reverend Kevin James for some scriptural humor.

Ministering unto both Rattlers AND Wildcats? Does not Matthew 6:24 tell us “You can not serve both God and mammon”?

“Okay, you got me there ,” James said, laughing. “You know my love goes for both sides , but on one Saturday in November, you know who I am rooting for.”

The Word is the Word, no matter if you're on the highest of seven hills or the hallow ground where Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune started her school with five little girls, $1.50 and faith in God.  For 22 years, Rev. James, now the Pastor of Palm Coast United Church, preached that Word  and served the spiritual needs at both FAMU and B-CU as a Chaplain. And since both are strong football schools, the football team was included in the pastoral area.

It's been one of the most rewarding aspects of Rev. James' calling.

“To see the response of the players, their witness of Christ and their commitment is extremely satisfying,” Rev. James said. “I've seen growth, and I've seen lives change. It's a blessing.”

While at Florida A&M, Rev. James approached then Rattlers Head Coach Ken Riley about starting a weekly Wednesday devotional, which eventually expanded to a Sunday service and a campus-wide ministry.

The concept continued when he came to Bethune-Cookman  to replace the retiring Rev. Rogers P. Fair, a man who had been hired by Dr. Bethune herself. Rev. James  expanded the outreach by chartering the Wildcats' first official chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

“We wanted to provide religious guidance for the students and reaffirm spirituality in both the classroom and on the field of play,” Rev. James said. “We employed programs focusing on religious and ethical values to uplift the students spiritually and encourage them in every endeavor.”

Programs work sometimes, but sometimes, especially in football, helping a young athlete requires the right touch.  Rev. James likened it to “calling an audible.”

“Sometimes you have to be aggressive; and there are times you have to be passive,” Rev. James said. “But you always have to be ACCESIBLE and always PASSIONATE.”

During his tenure at Bethune-Cookman, Rev. James could be found on a football Saturday running on to the Municipal Stadium surface alongside Head Coach Brian Jenkins and the Wildcats. This Saturday, he'll be one of approximately 20 area ministers serving as an honorary game captain during pregame ceremonies, in addition to hosting 90 children from the Florida United Methodist Children's Home as Bethune-Cookman hosts Florida Tech.

And, for the record, his wife and daughter are Florida A&M graduates while his son is a senior at B-CU.