Date: May 6, 2026
Contact: Chris Stone, Founder, FDC
Chris@faithdrivenconsumer.com
National petition calls on major professional sports leagues to welcome, embrace, celebrate and affirm Christ-followers with the same visibility and respect extended to other communities
RALEIGH, N.C. — Faith Driven Consumer (FDC) today launched Add Us In: Stand With Faith-Driven Athletes and Fans, a national campaign calling on the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, MLS, NASCAR and other professional sports organizations to provide equal treatment, inclusion and affirmation for Christ-followers in sports.
Professional sports has become one of America’s most visible cultural platforms. Leagues, teams and sponsors regularly create campaigns, theme nights and public-facing initiatives to welcome, embrace, celebrate and affirm communities across American life. FDC is calling on those same institutions to apply the same standard to faith-driven athletes, team personnel and fans who desire to live out their Christian faith openly and respectfully.
The campaign comes as faith in professional sports is receiving renewed public attention. NBA guard Jaden Ivey was waived by the Chicago Bulls for “conduct detrimental to the team” after social media videos in which he spoke about his Christian faith and criticized the NBA’s Pride Month messaging. Ivey’s case points to a larger reality: faith-driven athletes are not outside professional sports; they are already inside it, competing, contributing and shaping the game at the highest level. The 2026 NFL Draft provided fresh proof, as another incoming class of elite athletes brought visible Christian faith onto one of football’s biggest stages. Multiple first-round selections — including Fernando Mendoza, Jordyn Tyson, Caleb Downs, Ty Simpson and Makai Lemon — publicly gave thanks to God and Jesus Christ as they entered the league, reflecting the faith of millions of athletes, families and fans who support professional sports every day.
FDC says the issue is broader than any single athlete, team or league. Across professional sports, many faith-driven athletes and fans see regular recognition for other communities but few comparable opportunities for Christ-followers to be welcomed and affirmed as part of the sports culture they help build and sustain.
“Millions of faith-driven Americans support professional sports, yet too often their faith is treated as something to keep private, quiet or invisible,” said Stone. “That is not inclusion. Inclusion means every major community at the table is recognized with respect. Faith-driven athletes should not have to choose between excellence in their sport and open allegiance to Jesus Christ. Faith-driven fans should not have to wonder whether the leagues they support have a place for them.”
The Add Us In campaign calls on major sports leagues and teams to:
- Establish visible faith-and-family recognition across league and team calendars.
- Apply conduct and expression policies fairly and neutrally, without penalizing respectful expressions of Christian belief.
- Include faith-driven athletes, fans and organizations in fan engagement, community outreach and sponsorship conversations.
- Meet with Faith Driven Consumer and faith-driven leaders to define measurable standards for equal treatment and inclusion.
“Professional sports already knows how to mobilize public affirmation,” Stone said. “We are asking leagues to use that same muscle for Christ-followers. This is a parity request, not a preference request. It is an inclusion request, not an exclusion request.”
Faith Driven Consumer first gained national attention during the #StandWithPhil campaign, when hundreds of thousands mobilized in support of Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson after his suspension, contributing to his reinstatement in nine days. FDC has engaged national conversations around films such as Noah and Exodus, launched the Faith Equality Index and met directly with leaders at more than 160 major U.S. brands.
Today, FDC represents a measurable audience of approximately 41 million Americans whose faith shapes everyday decisions — part of a broader group of roughly 90 million whose beliefs influence their economic choices.
The campaign invites individuals to add their voice at faithdrivenconsumer.com/petition, and send a unified message to professional sports organizations: faith-driven athletes and fans should be welcomed, embraced, celebrated and affirmed. Add us in.
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About Faith Driven Consumer
Faith Driven Consumer (FDC) is a national movement focused on the intersection of faith, culture, and everyday life. FDC equips Christ-followers to live their faith openly and works with institutions across the marketplace, workplace and public culture to recognize and respond to faith-driven consumers with equal respect, equal access and equal standing.
