More than music notes
TRBC’s worship pastor is also known for his skill on the racquetball courts
Multifaceted — Charles Billingsley is known around Liberty’s campus for leading worship at TRBC and for his undefeated record in racquetball at the LaHaye Student Union. Photo credit: Courtney Russo
Hitting musical notes comes easily for Thomas Road Baptist Church’s (TRBC) worship pastor Charles Billingsley. The professional singer has performed in more than 3,200 concerts nationwide, but
Billingsley does more than just sing.
“The two things I’m probably most passionate about are probably my music and … racquetball,” Billingsley said.
Billingsley, worship pastor at TRBC since 2007, took up racquetball as a teen after seeing the game played in junior high school in Portland, Oregon.
According to Billingsley, he developed a love for the game throughout high school and continued to practice his passion at Samford University. While at Samford University, Billingsley roomed with a well-known leader around Liberty’s campus, Senior Vice President for Spiritual Development David Nasser.
Billingsley played intramural racquetball at Samford, but admits he only truly learned how to play the sport after being challenged by a friend from church, who happened to be the state champion. After years spent playing for fun, Billingsley said he had to work hard to keep up with Alabama’s racquetball state champion, and it changed the way he played the sport.
“I try to make my points (in the) last three shots,” Billingsley said. “Serve.
Return. And then I kill it … my goal is to not get much exercise playing racquetball.”
After moving from Alabama to Virginia to work with Jerry Falwell Sr. at TRBC and Liberty University, Billingsley was later offered a position as the racquetball club team’s head coach after Liberty acquired Sports Racquet in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Billingsley turned down the request.
At the time, Billingsley was leading music at TRBC and working with musicians around Liberty’s campus to form Campus Band for Campus Church. According to Billingsley, his consistently crazy schedule prevented him from taking another leadership position.
Even though Billingsley was unable to coach the team, he talked to Kirk Handy, the head of club sports and recruited a retired member of the Central Virginia Racquetball Association, Danny Rodriguez.
Rodriguez continues to lead the team, and occasionally, Billingsley drops by for a practice or two.
“They always put me on as an honorary assistant (coach) even though I’m not there much,” Billingsley said. “But when I do come over (to practices), I’ll scrimmage with the students and give pointers and things.”
Because of Billingsley’s experience with the sport over the years, he can now offer advice, applying the game of racquetball to the game of life.
“In racquetball, you have to know when to hit it soft and when to hit it hard,” Billingsley said. “(It is the) same thing with business, (and the) same thing with ministry. You gotta know when to do certain things, and you know how you learn — by failing — but eventually you realize (how to do it).”
Billingsley encouraged students with a racquetball analogy he has had to learn in his own spiritual walk.
“Don’t get in a hurry,” Billingsley said. “Spiritual growth is not an overnight thing. … I’ve had many a game when I was losing 14 to 1, and I came back and won 15 to 14 because I’ve learned over the years not to get in a hurry … but let the game come to you.”
TILLER is the feature editor.