Zane Koehler is a Salvationist with a passion for ministry, but also a passion for video games. When he played “Halo” competitively throughout high school and college, he experienced firsthand how toxic gaming culture could be. For years, he tried to start a Salvation Army gaming (SA Gaming) community, but nothing came of his efforts until March 2020.

At that time, Zane was working in the youth department at the Central Territory’s headquarters, where he still serves today, when he successfully pitched his supervisors the idea of a faith-based gaming network. As COVID-19 began shutting down the world, SA Gaming was born. Using the messaging platform Discord, Salvationist gamers began to congregate online every other Friday to play Fortnite together as a community. “Essentially SA Gaming is a creative, positive, encouraging community and ministry where gamers who love video games and Jesus can come together,” said Zane. “If gamers don’t know who Jesus is, we hope that they will learn to know who He is from our actions and how we talk with them.”

When Zane livestreams the SA Gaming events on Twitch (@xEnzanebeat), he’s sure to add a healthy dose of Gospel to the gaming. Each session includes a devotional, often tied to a popular game such as Fortnite or Minecraft — and devotional thoughts are posted to Discord for players to reflect on during the week. “We’re not just playing video games, there is a whole ministry aspect to it,” Zane said.

Captain Nate Woodard (Twitch @PastorNaterade) of the Olathe, KS corps also streams for SA Gaming. “To me, SA Gaming is the new street corner,” said Captain Nate Woodard. “It’s the new tent meetings of The Salvation Army like when it first started. What was beneficial about the tent meetings was that’s where the people were. Often, these meetings would happen outside of bars … this is where the people are.” Captain Nate brings what he calls a “tent meeting attitude” to his digital ministry throughout the week, which often features devotionals and moments of prayer, during which viewers can share prayer requests in real time. He often invites other officers as guests and regularly collaborates with other Christian streamers. 

“Last kettle season, we did a ‘Ring on Stream’ event and raised $1,300 as a community for our corps,” said Captain Nate. “I streamed for 14 straight days and brought someone on each day. I brought our area commander on, and we played. I brought people from around our territory and asked them about their faith. It was a meaningful experience, but also lighthearted fun.” The streamathon included donation milestones such as Captain Nate adorning his beard with glitter, getting pied in the face, and drinking random concoctions crafted by his wife and kids. The event showcased how SA Gaming’s stream exemplifies the diverse ways it can challenge the often unkind culture of gaming by creating Christ-centered spaces rooted in kindness. 

“I remember looking up to people who played musical instruments and led worship at youth councils,” said Captain Nate. “I wanted to be like them and lead worship, and now I get to do that. There are some very, very good gamers who are Salvationists. What would it look like to have a route of discipleship to teach them how to be a safe gamer? He believes this includes equipping young Salvationist streamers to live out their faith online. “If they want to stream, they can use their witness. God is calling you because of your witness,” he said. “You can stream in a positive environment. You don’t have to cuss. You don’t have to promote negative things. You can share your testimony, and you can create a space where others can too.” 

The SA Gaming community has organically taken on a life of its own, with players becoming friends and gaming with each other outside of official events. This, Zane says, is a good thing — it allows him to focus on expanding into in-person ministry. At the Central Territory Congress this year, Zane hosted a gaming tournament, a long-time dream. General Lyndon Buckingham even joined in for a round of Mario Kart. One moment especially stood out for Zane: a couple of kids recognized each other by voice alone and were thrilled to meet in person. 

“There’s something special about gaming [together] in person that the kids don’t always expect,” he said. “It’s cool to see those relationships blossom.” Zane noted that SA Gaming’s culture has fostered friendships across generations, bridging the gap between millennials and Gen Z. Zane has been hosting gaming events at corps across the Central Territory, where attendance has consistently exceeded expectations. These events also serve as practical demonstrations for corps officers, showing just how accessible a gaming ministry can be. But Zane’s vision is even bigger. 

He envisions a competitive SA Gaming network in every territory, with both online and in-person tournaments. These could lead to divisional championships at youth councils, then territorial finals at commissioning, all culminating in a national SA Gaming conference weekend. Such a conference could include worship services, workshops, and even keynote speakers from the gaming community — perhaps even popular streamer Tyler Blevins, better known as “Ninja,” who has recently begun sharing more about his faith. There would be plenty of opportunities for bigger faith-based streamers to get involved and talk about keeping their faith in the gaming industry.

Workshops could cover topics like gaming-related careers (like coding, graphic design, web development and streaming) and mental health. Sessions for parents and leaders could help them support the young gamers in their lives, while providing practical tools for hosting gaming nights at their corps. “I would love for leaders, pastors and parents to see it’s more than just playing video games,” Zane said. “Careers can be made out of it, and lives can be changed from it.” 

Captain Nate agrees. “I hope we can take some kids under our wings and teach them how to be safe streamers. Maybe even sponsor some professional gamers,” he said. “Give them the tools to succeed and be a missionary, be someone sharing the Gospel out there for others. Because there are millions of people watching streams every day, and to me, that’s what SA Gaming is. I see it as an opportunity to bring a bright space to what can be sometimes a dark area of life.”

The greatest goal remains bringing the Gospel to the gamer. With all the dedication of Zane, Captain Nate and the wider SA Gaming community, the top priority continues to be cultivating a safe, family-friendly, faith-based environment where people can play video games together and come to know Jesus more and more. Captain Nate put it best when he likened the ministry to William Booth’s defense of setting Christian lyrics to popular secular tunes: “Why should the Devil have all the best tunes?” SA Gaming won’t let the devil have all the best games. 

This article was originally titled “Ministry at the Speed of Wi-Fi” in the November 2025 issue of The War Cry.