Elders Letter July 2026
Dear Church Family, July 2026
Over the past several years, God has been abundantly faithful to First Christian Church. We have watched Him transform lives, strengthen families, raise up leaders, and expand the reach of the Gospel throughout Greene County and beyond. As Elders, we are deeply grateful for the privilege of serving alongside you as we continue pursuing our mission of Helping People Find & Follow Jesus.
One of the primary ways we believe God has called us to live out that mission is through our campus-launching strategy. From the beginning, our desire has never been growth for growth’s sake, but rather to create more opportunities for people in our communities to hear the Gospel, experience biblical community, and become fully devoted followers of Christ. As we continue to launch campuses throughout our region, we are also pursuing a larger vision that has become increasingly clear over the last several years: with each future campus launch, we desire to simultaneously help launch and strengthen an international church partnership. We believe God has positioned FCC to think about Gospel advancement both locally and globally simultaneously.
With that vision in mind, we are excited to share that our plan is still to launch our fourth FCC campus in February 2027 in the Mosheim community, meeting at West Greene High School. This next campus represents another opportunity to bring the hope of Christ closer to thousands of people throughout Greene County. At the same time, this launch is not just about opening a new location. We are asking every FCC campus—Greeneville, Afton, South Greene, and our future Mosheim campus—to embrace this season as a church-wide relaunch.
What do we mean by relaunch? We mean recommitting ourselves to the mission, vision, and strategy God has entrusted to us. Most importantly, it means prayerfully considering who God may be calling you to invite into a relationship with Jesus through the ministry of FCC. We encourage you not to wait until February 2027. Begin praying and inviting now. Ask God to place specific people on your heart—friends, neighbors, coworkers, family members, classmates, and others who may be far from Christ. Some of the greatest stories we celebrate at FCC began with a simple invitation.
As we prepare for this next season of ministry, we will also be announcing a capital campaign in the coming months. We are grateful to share that, through your faithful generosity and the careful stewardship of our staff and leadership teams, we already have approximately two-thirds of the resources needed for this initiative. This is a testimony to God’s provision and to the sacrificial giving of our church family over many years. More details will be shared soon, but we wanted you to know that this effort is not beginning from a place of need, but from a position of gratitude and faithful preparation.
We are equally encouraged by what God continues to do through our growing partnership with La Barca Church in Bogotá, Colombia. This relationship has become a tangible expression of our desire to launch an international church alongside each future campus launch. Through multiple mission trips, leadership development opportunities, and ongoing support, we have seen God strengthen this young congregation and deepen the partnership between our churches. We are excited that another FCC mission team is scheduled to travel to Colombia this August, as we continue to invest in the work God is doing there. We ask that you continue praying for Pastor Diego Camargo, his family, and the entire La Barca congregation as they faithfully proclaim the Gospel in their community.
As part of our commitment to the long-term health and effectiveness of our church leadership, our Lead Pastor, Scott Wakefield, will be taking a three-month sabbatical from August through October of this year. As Elders, we view this as an important investment in both Scott and the long-term health of our church. A sabbatical is not a vacation, nor is it time away from ministry responsibilities without purpose. Rather, it is an intentional season designed to further the church's ministry objectives, enhance the personal ministry of the pastoral staff member, and provide opportunities for physical, spiritual, and relational renewal and refreshment. Over the past several years, Scott has faithfully led FCC through significant growth, multiple campus launches, leadership development initiatives, and the ongoing demands of pastoral ministry. We are grateful for his faithful service and look forward to seeing how God uses this dedicated season of rest, study, prayer, and preparation to strengthen both Scott and the ministry of FCC for years to come.
Another encouraging development within our church family is the continued raising up of leaders from within our own congregation. After prayerful consideration and evaluation, the Elders intend to move forward with the ordination of Brandon Ivy, a recent graduate of Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary. Brandon has demonstrated a consistent commitment to sound doctrine, faithful service, Christian character, and a growing ability to teach and shepherd God's people. His completion of theological training represents only one aspect of a broader pattern of spiritual maturity and ministry faithfulness that we have observed over time. We are thankful for the work God has accomplished in Brandon's life and excited to affirm His calling through the process of ordination. We expect this ordination to take place at the South Greene campus in middle-to-late July – stay tuned for specific timing and details in the weeks ahead.
Church family, we believe the coming years represent a significant opportunity for Gospel impact. Our prayer is not merely that FCC would grow larger, but that more people would find forgiveness, hope, purpose, and new life in Jesus Christ. May we remain united around that mission, faithful in prayer, generous in spirit, and eager to share the good news with those around us.
Thank you for your faithfulness, service, generosity, and commitment to the work God is doing through FCC. We look forward with anticipation to all that He will accomplish in the days ahead.
Faithfully,
The Elders of First Christian Church
Carl DelSorbo, Mark Liebert, Bill Richards, Mike Schubert, and Scott Wakefield
Over the past several years, God has been abundantly faithful to First Christian Church. We have watched Him transform lives, strengthen families, raise up leaders, and expand the reach of the Gospel throughout Greene County and beyond. As Elders, we are deeply grateful for the privilege of serving alongside you as we continue pursuing our mission of Helping People Find & Follow Jesus.
One of the primary ways we believe God has called us to live out that mission is through our campus-launching strategy. From the beginning, our desire has never been growth for growth’s sake, but rather to create more opportunities for people in our communities to hear the Gospel, experience biblical community, and become fully devoted followers of Christ. As we continue to launch campuses throughout our region, we are also pursuing a larger vision that has become increasingly clear over the last several years: with each future campus launch, we desire to simultaneously help launch and strengthen an international church partnership. We believe God has positioned FCC to think about Gospel advancement both locally and globally simultaneously.
With that vision in mind, we are excited to share that our plan is still to launch our fourth FCC campus in February 2027 in the Mosheim community, meeting at West Greene High School. This next campus represents another opportunity to bring the hope of Christ closer to thousands of people throughout Greene County. At the same time, this launch is not just about opening a new location. We are asking every FCC campus—Greeneville, Afton, South Greene, and our future Mosheim campus—to embrace this season as a church-wide relaunch.
What do we mean by relaunch? We mean recommitting ourselves to the mission, vision, and strategy God has entrusted to us. Most importantly, it means prayerfully considering who God may be calling you to invite into a relationship with Jesus through the ministry of FCC. We encourage you not to wait until February 2027. Begin praying and inviting now. Ask God to place specific people on your heart—friends, neighbors, coworkers, family members, classmates, and others who may be far from Christ. Some of the greatest stories we celebrate at FCC began with a simple invitation.
As we prepare for this next season of ministry, we will also be announcing a capital campaign in the coming months. We are grateful to share that, through your faithful generosity and the careful stewardship of our staff and leadership teams, we already have approximately two-thirds of the resources needed for this initiative. This is a testimony to God’s provision and to the sacrificial giving of our church family over many years. More details will be shared soon, but we wanted you to know that this effort is not beginning from a place of need, but from a position of gratitude and faithful preparation.
We are equally encouraged by what God continues to do through our growing partnership with La Barca Church in Bogotá, Colombia. This relationship has become a tangible expression of our desire to launch an international church alongside each future campus launch. Through multiple mission trips, leadership development opportunities, and ongoing support, we have seen God strengthen this young congregation and deepen the partnership between our churches. We are excited that another FCC mission team is scheduled to travel to Colombia this August, as we continue to invest in the work God is doing there. We ask that you continue praying for Pastor Diego Camargo, his family, and the entire La Barca congregation as they faithfully proclaim the Gospel in their community.
As part of our commitment to the long-term health and effectiveness of our church leadership, our Lead Pastor, Scott Wakefield, will be taking a three-month sabbatical from August through October of this year. As Elders, we view this as an important investment in both Scott and the long-term health of our church. A sabbatical is not a vacation, nor is it time away from ministry responsibilities without purpose. Rather, it is an intentional season designed to further the church's ministry objectives, enhance the personal ministry of the pastoral staff member, and provide opportunities for physical, spiritual, and relational renewal and refreshment. Over the past several years, Scott has faithfully led FCC through significant growth, multiple campus launches, leadership development initiatives, and the ongoing demands of pastoral ministry. We are grateful for his faithful service and look forward to seeing how God uses this dedicated season of rest, study, prayer, and preparation to strengthen both Scott and the ministry of FCC for years to come.
Another encouraging development within our church family is the continued raising up of leaders from within our own congregation. After prayerful consideration and evaluation, the Elders intend to move forward with the ordination of Brandon Ivy, a recent graduate of Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary. Brandon has demonstrated a consistent commitment to sound doctrine, faithful service, Christian character, and a growing ability to teach and shepherd God's people. His completion of theological training represents only one aspect of a broader pattern of spiritual maturity and ministry faithfulness that we have observed over time. We are thankful for the work God has accomplished in Brandon's life and excited to affirm His calling through the process of ordination. We expect this ordination to take place at the South Greene campus in middle-to-late July – stay tuned for specific timing and details in the weeks ahead.
Church family, we believe the coming years represent a significant opportunity for Gospel impact. Our prayer is not merely that FCC would grow larger, but that more people would find forgiveness, hope, purpose, and new life in Jesus Christ. May we remain united around that mission, faithful in prayer, generous in spirit, and eager to share the good news with those around us.
Thank you for your faithfulness, service, generosity, and commitment to the work God is doing through FCC. We look forward with anticipation to all that He will accomplish in the days ahead.
Faithfully,
The Elders of First Christian Church
Carl DelSorbo, Mark Liebert, Bill Richards, Mike Schubert, and Scott Wakefield
Posted in Elders Letter