A letter by Rocky Rocholl, president
As we celebrate Christmas this year, my thoughts return to Bethlehem—not the bustling city Sue and I visited in 2015, but the town as it existed 2,000 years ago. At that time, all of Judea was marked by great upheaval, with heavy taxes, Roman rule, and extreme political unrest. No doubt many people at the time of Jesus’ birth were quite fearful for the future.
I think we can all relate to this kind of uncertainty, especially during an election year! For me personally, uncertainty became quite real in my role as president of FEC when, by mid-year, more than 10% of our churches were looking for new lead pastors. How were we going to fill these eight positions—many of them held by men who either founded the church or pastored it for over 20 years—while still maintaining our sense of unity in direction, mission, and purpose?
But God is faithful. I needn’t have worried. He has provided for those situations in amazing ways. Even better, He continues to give us new energy and enthusiasm. We planted our newest church a few weeks ago and are anticipating other projects in the beginning of the coming year. Through it all, I’m so thankful for a God who remains sovereign, even in the midst of our uncertainty. When we don’t know the future—whether for FEC or for our nation as a whole—we can be certain God holds it in his hands.
May the peace of Christmas dwell in you richly, both this Christmas and in the year to come.
Rocky Rocholl, president
