The members of Leeds First United Methodist Church are planning a special day of fellowship and learning designed specifically for men.

On Aug. 7, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Priority One Conference for Men, a ministry of Leeds FUMC, will take place at the church’s Family Life Center on Sixth Street in downtown Leeds. Cost is $25.

“The event is designed to challenge and equip men to make God the first priority in all areas of their life,” said Leeds FUMC pastor Chip Vann. “We will have good music, good food, good fellowship and good speakers.”

The speakers for the event are sure to be of interest to many men, considering their backgrounds in athletics. Jeremiah Castille and Joe Dean Jr. have each excelled in their sports-related careers, but both are also men of strong spiritual backgrounds.

Castille is a former player for the University of Alabama and played seven seasons in the NFL. He was the MVP of the last game coached by Paul “Bear” Bryant, a victory over the University of Illinois in the Liberty Bowl. He played professionally for Tampa Bay and Denver.

Castille is the founder of the Jeremiah Castille Foundation.

According to the organization’s website: “Throughout his professional career, Jeremiah knew that he had a call from God to mentor, coach and minister to young people. It was clear to him that he was being called to return from the roots of which he came, the inner city. He was called to reach out to inner city youth and to bring them hope and faith for the future.”

Castille was ordained as a minister of the gospel in 2001.

In June 2005, the Jeremiah Castille Foundation purchased a facility in the Woodlawn community. This acquisition began the realization of Castille’s vision to reach inner-city youth one on one for Christ.

Dean has been the athletics director at Birmingham-Southern College since 1999. He played basketball for Mississippi State University. He earned his bachelor’s degree and master of education degree from MSU in 1977.

Dean has been leading BSC athletics through a transition that has included developing and upgrading athletic facilities and adding new sports such as football, track and field, and men’s and women’s lacrosse. He created the BSC Athletic Foundation, which has raised more than $6 million over the past 10 years.

Dean has also worked as a television color analyst on SEC basketball for Raycom Sports and Fox Sport South.

For more information, or to register, call the church at 699-8575 or visit www.leedsfirst.org.