Community comes through for FCA to tune of $43,000

A packed crowd was on hand for a Fellowship of Christian Athletes fundraiser at Macedonia Baptist Church. The event collected $43,000 to support the Christian organization's programs in Cherokee and Union counties. The Fellowship of Christian Athletes has raised $43,000 from a spring fundraiser for its Cherokee and Union county chapters.

A packed crowd of 300 people contributed $23,270 of that amount Tuesday night during a development banquet at Macedonia Baptist Church. The event focused on the Christian organization's weekly work in huddle groups on high school and college campuses, small group meetings, FCA summer sports camps, and getting more local residents involved in the organization.

Speaker Ron Bishop graduated from Blacksburg High and went to divinity school. He spent three years as a pastor before becoming the Tennessee Temple University men's basketball coach in Chattanooga.

Bishop guided Temple to four national championships in 10 seasons, compiling a career record of 279-88. He left Temple in 1985 to start SCORE International, a ministry which speaks to thousands of teens each year.

"My success is because a coach cared and had a positive influence on my life," Bishop told the crowd.

The event was noteworthy in another way.

Claudia Butler will help the local Fellowship of Christian Athletes become a trendsetter on the national level.

Butler was officially introduced Tuesday night as the new area representative for women's ministry. She will work to get coaches and athletes from women's sports more involved in FCA programs.

"We are one of the first area FCA groups in the United States to have an area representative for women's and men's sports. We will be working our ministry beyond traditional sports like basketball and football to reach coaches and athletes involved in women's sports such as basketball, golf and lacrosse," Butler said.

Women's sports such as basketball have become increasingly competitive in recent years.

With female athletes now experiencing many of the same stresses and challenges, Butler said the Fellowship of Christian Athletes has seen a need to expand their ministry to help coaches provide a positive influence for women's sports.

Butler was recently approached by FCA board member Alan Welch about taking on the new role of coordinating a women's ministry.

A part-time employee for 23 years with accountant Bob Moorhead, Butler said she felt she was called into this new ministry by God.

"As a former player, I know what a positive influence a coach can have on their player's life through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes," she said. "My heart is really pulled towards helping the students and coaches in Union, Lockhart and Jonesville to help them make the transition as their high school is consolidated. The perspective of Christian faith and community will be an important part of making this transition a smooth process."