Phillip Shallenberger graduated from Geneva with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a concentration in sport management in 2010, and again with his master’s degree in higher education in 2013. He is currently serving as the head baseball coach for Messiah University. Throughout his journey he has found that by building relationships and pursuing excellence in every aspect of his life, he can bring glory to God and serve those around him.
It's always been about the personal connections for Phillip. As he searched for a college, he looked primarily for a strong business/sport management program and baseball team. Geneva wasn’t on his radar until one of his sister’s friends, Adam Guthrie, encouraged him to apply. After attending one of Adam’s football games and experiencing the Geneva atmosphere, Phillip began to realize that Geneva was the right choice for him.
Reflecting on his time at Geneva, Phillip identifies the relationships that he built as instrumental for his growth. As he played baseball, attended classes, and hung out with friends, he was poured into by the people in his life. He was challenged to think deeply about his faith and how his faith influences the way that he lives. His professors, coaches, teammates, and friends all made a significant impact on how Phillip saw the integration of faith and life.
One of his baseball teammates, Justin Montgomery, left a lasting impact on him. Though initially a bit intimidated by Justin, who was a junior while Phillip was a freshman, Justin ultimately became a valuable mentor to him. They had deep conversations about faith, studied together, and practiced together. Justin was a genuine presence for Phillip during his time at school.
The relationships he built at Geneva influenced Phillip as he found himself called to pour into college students throughout his career, just as he was poured into as a student. Before coaching at Messiah, he worked as a Resident Director (RD) for both Belmont University and Cairn University. He remembered the impact of his own RD, who invested in him and challenged him to live a Christ-like life, and modeled his own work after this.
Phillip was empowered in new ways during his master’s education at Geneva. He describes studying higher education as incredibly formative because he was challenged to think more critically about his vocation. The conversations he had in this program guided his thinking as he engaged in unique conversations with his players and colleagues in professional life. His mentality around student development became more holistic, leading him to seek relationships outside of the athletics department to better serve the students in his care.
In his current role as a coach, Phillip takes every opportunity to integrate his faith with his work, striving to intentionally pursue Christ-like actions in every moment amidst the high-intensity nature of competitive sports. This is a challenge in which he invites his student-athletes to join him. As Phillip shares, it’s exciting to have a successful sports season, but the added visibility that comes with success is an incentive to keep Christ at the forefront. When the pressure grows, others will watch to see if Christianity is truly your lifestyle. Though Phillip finds joy in coaching, his success is measured more by his players’ representation of Christ than by winning games.
“[I find joy in] getting to show up every day to build those relationships and walk through life with [my student-athletes],” shares Phillip. God has gifted him with both a passion for baseball and a desire to build deep relationships, culminating in a rich vocational experience.
Though Phillip grew up as the son of a pastor, he never planned to follow in those footsteps. Nevertheless, as his father has witnessed Phillip’s coaching style, he has noticed the way that his son pastors and shepherds his students. In many ways, coaching has been Phillip’s ministry as he shares the love of Christ with his students and calls others to follow Him.
Phillip’s story provides a valuable example of serving God in whatever capacity you have been gifted. There is no one way to live as a witness, and every vocation provides opportunities to demonstrate the love of Christ. Phillip has followed his passions and calling, finding purpose in serving God and neighbor through athletics and higher education.
Mattigan Burleigh ‘24
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