Galán Tapias, Andrés

#1104831

Andrés Galán

Servant Leader

Andrés Galán has served with Athletes in Action (Spain) since the beginning of 2020 and with CAMPUS in Malaga University since the beginning of 2023. From 2005 onward he has been gaining experience as a rugby player and trainer, in additions to completing his degree in the Science of Sports & Physical Activity at the Universidad Miguel Hernandez in Elche, Spain. He grew up in the church in Segovia, Spain, where his parents were elders, and was baptized by his dad and pastor, Juan María Galán, in 2008.

His life took a turn in 2013 when he discovered his calling to serve full-time. While searching for where he was being called to serve, he played on the praise and worship team, as well as volunteering in various other ministries at his church. Soon it became clear to him that God was calling him to sports ministry, and so he and two friends created an association called Christian Rugby Union (Unión de Rugby Cristiana) where they served Christian rugby players in various locations around Spain.

In 2020 he made the decision to begin building a support network and to train as a member of the staff of Agape (CRU). During his first six months he began as a part of the SportCARE team but soon found his place with Athletes in Action (Spain). Alongside Abraham and Amy, the directors of the ministry, he has been helping build connections with athletes according to his original vision. In 2023 he was led to change mission and start CAMPUS in Malaga (Q Malaga).

Family

Andrés was born on 9 July 1995 in Segovia, Spain. His father, Juan María Galán, and grandfather, Raimundo Galán, both pastored the church he grew up in. His grandfather became a Christian under the work of missionary Ronald Blue (among others) who started their church.

At 14 Andrés was baptized, but it wasn’t until he was 19, after living several months away from the church, that he had a personal encounter with God in which he received these words:

“It doesn’t matter to me what sins you’ve committed nor the errors you’ve made; I have a plan for you, and I want you by my side.”

Over time, he came to understand that this meant God's plan for him was to serve full-time. During that journey of discovering his purpose, he met Dorka Tango, whom he married on January 25, 2020. They now reside in the city of Málaga, in southern Spain, along with their three cats, and are eagerly anticipating the arrival of a beautiful baby in 2024.

Career Highlights

In 2018 Andrés began to serve God on his own by connection athletes with one another via an association he and his friends created called Christian Rugby Union (Unión de Rugby Cristiana), through which he cared for Christian rugby players in Spain, providing them with everything they needed from specific sports clothing and accessories to advice. That same year he attended a course called Global Sports Chaplaincy, where he learned to more intentionally develop his chaplain ministry.

In 2019 he added to his training a weekend conference with Steve Jones about All Ability Sports Chaplaincy. Thanks to this, in 2020, the International Mixed Ability Rugby Tournament invited him to be a part of their sports chaplaincy team, but it was unfortunately canceled due to covid-19.

In September 2020 Andrés started to form his support team from Agape (Spain), in order to be a part of Ruben Fernandez and Lidia Toledo’s team, but he soon found his place among rugby players and began serving with Athletes in Action.

Andrés has a clear vision of making disciples by demonstrating God's love in the world of sports and, therefore, in the student world.His mission is to show the world the love that God showed him, caring for each person as Jesus would and making disciples wherever God leads him.

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