Austintown racino gets a chaplain

AUSTINTOWN

It took a goat to get the respect Chaplain Jim Smith needed from the workers on the backside of a racetrack.

“There wasn’t a real strong reception for a preacher on the backside,” Smith side.

Smith was in his office thinking of ways to connect with the horse trainers, groomers and workers in the stables at the racetrack when one of the workers approached him.

“She says, ‘Chaplain I need you to come down to my shed and pray,’” he explained. “I thought, ‘This is my real chance to prove myself.”

The woman’s goat, which was there to sooth the horses she had racing, was sick.

“I thought, ‘You’ve got to me be kidding me, I came here to pray for a goat,’” Smith said. “God kind of spoke to me and said, ‘Pray for the goat.’”

Two days later, the woman came back and told him the goat fully recovered.

“She became my biggest supporter at that track,” he said. “Word of mouth on the backside travels very, very fast and as soon as that goat was healed, and she let everyone know, it was like night and day down there.”

After more than a decade at Mountaineer Racetrack and Resort in West Virginia, Smith is now at Austintown’s Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course as the track’s first chaplain.

The chaplain has been with the Race Track Chaplaincy of America for 13 years. He has been in ministry for 15 years and he once owned a Christian bookstore.

“I had a spiritual awakening in 1974,” he said. “It took me a few years before I decided to go into ministry.”

While working in his Calcutta bookstore, a man from the RTCA came in and asked Smith if he would be interested in being a part of the organization.

“I went through Bible schools, I am ordained by two different organizations, but none of it prepares you for ministry on the racetrack,” Smith said.

He started walking shed rows and introducing himself not in a suit and tie, but in boots and jeans to connect with people.

“Most racetracks are fairly unchurched,” he said. “The reason being is their schedules are so demanding. They have a very long tedious day. Most of them don’t get to live a normal social life.”

Smith’s job is to help with that, by providing for the spiritual, social and emotional needs for those on the backside.

“Preaching is a very small part of this,” Smith said.

The chaplain sets up healthcare events, social events, educational classes and chapel services.

“We have Spanish and English classes,” he said. “There’s a lot of Hispanic workers. We want to get communication smoother.”

Many of the workers on the backside don’t have the time to go see a doctor, so a doctor is brought to them.

And before every race the chaplain prays for the safety of the jockeys and thoroughbreds racing along a one-mile track.

At the Austintown racino, Smith has planned a foosball tournament, a groom of the month competition, and a food and clothing drive.

Next, Smith would like to make more connections with local churches and organizations.

“The industry here helps the community,” Smith said. “If we can get the community to pump more back into us, everyone is a winner.”

The chaplain was brought to the track by Penn National Gaming Inc., the racino’s parent company, and the Ohio Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association.

“We think it’s positive for all parties,” said Mark Loewe, vice president of Ohio racing operations for Penn National.

Dave Basler, executive director of the Ohio HBPA, explained that having a chaplain at the tracks takes care of a lot of problems before they start.

“Preventing issues from arising is just as important as fixing them as they do arise,” Basler said.

Smith will be at the Austintown racino through the end of this racing season on April 22. From there, he will head to Jack Thistledown Racino in Cleveland until racing starts back up in Austintown in October.

“There’s some wonderful people involved in racing,” Smith said. “You have to earn their respect and trust. You can’t go and Bible thump people. You have to allow them to get to know you as a person rather than a preacher.”