January 11, 2024
Dear FCFI Family,
The Board of Directors of the Fellowship of Christian Farmers wishes to announce that our Executive Director, Dennis Schlagel will be retiring March 1, 2024 per his request. We appreciate all that Dennis has done to lead FCFI over the past 30 years. In recognition of his faithful service, we will bestow on him the title Director Emeritus, and he will continue to serve at the discretion of the President. We plan to make the next couple of months a time to recognize and honor Dennis & Janet for their commitment and dedication to the Lord's work and all their contributions to the Fellowship of Christian Farmers International. Please pray for Dennis & Janet as they continue their journey and navigate thru Janet’s medical trials. Pray that the Lord will bless them and give them wisdom as they continue to serve the Lord together.
The Board has begun the search for the Godly, Spirit-filled person that God has prepared to lead FCFI forward in these exciting times. God is using this ministry in many ways and we are very excited to see how many more FFA students and Farm & Festival goers will give their lives to the Lord and begin a new walk with Him in 2024. Please pray for wisdom for the Board of Directors as we seek the person God has for us to lead FCFI to the future. If you know of anyone or have anyone you would like to recommend for our consideration please email Deb Herrold at deb@fcfi.org.
We would like to thank all of you, our faithful partners in this important, rewarding task that God has entrusted us all with. This ministry would not exist without faithful, active, giving members. Thank you for your prayers and your continued financial support.
Thank you and God Bless!
The Fellowship of Christian Farmers Board of Directors
A LETTER FROM DENNIS
January 11, 2024
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The New Year, 2024, marks the completion of 30 years of ministry for Janet and I with the Fellowship of Christian Farmers, International. Janet and I had four young children in 1993 (Hannah, Abigail, Rachel and Joshua). I had been a Vo-Ag/FFA Advisor in Jesup, Iowa for three years before joining Ralston Purina for 12 years as a District Manager in Iowa Falls, Iowa. Janet was a Registered Dietitian at a Hospital in Waterloo, Iowa and OSF Hospital in Bloomington, Illinois. When the
FCFI Board of Directors invited me to become the first FCFI Executive Director in November 1992 in Columbia, South Carolina, it was possible for me to accept because Janet’s health insurance at OSF Hospital; added income; and she supported the decision spiritually due to her involvement in local FCFI Chapter activities.
Janet and I took our home church youth group to Mon Clova, Mexico where we met Rev Ed Williamson and his wife Starlene’s ministry. Two of our church’s youth were the daughters of Mark and Jan Freed. Both girls told their Dad, “You have to go to Mexico to help Ed Williamson or Brother Ed.” Well, the Lord led many teams of farmers to Mexico from 1990-2008. Many wonderful friendships across America were started on humble Mexico mission trips.
From 1992-2010 a Russian Baptist Union church in Novgorod, Russia was transformed into a 30,000 Sq. Ft. building used to train pastors, plant /grow churches in the Novgorod Oblast. Today we can watch The Temple of Christ Worship Services online. Pastor Anatoli and the church are doing great. Much stress with the Ukrainian war impacting families.
Farm Show expansion with the use of the Wordless Walking Stick began 1998 at the Wisconsin Farm Technology Days in Menomonie, Wisconsin. Bill Brown took FCFI to Canada. Janet and I in 2010-2018 took FCFI to New Zealand to exhibit at National Fieldays, with the help of Darren and Jonathan Miers who met at the Farm Progress
Show in Boone , Iowa. (August 2010) New Capernwray Bible School students each year helped share the gospel. I was a student of Capernwray in 1974.
Disaster Relief campaigns started in 1992 with Hurricane Andrew and the great St. Louis flooding, and a fllod in 1993 near Hull, Iowa. Disaster Relief has a long list of rural campaigns ever since and includes the current one in Clarksville, Tennessee.
Exhibiting at State FFA Conventions continues in nearly 30 states and also with local FFA chapters doing disaster relief. Also new for 2024 is working with FCF Canada and the Gideons International sharing the gospel across Canada.
FCFI has need been No. 1 in our family since joining FCFI in 1993. With Janet’s nine year battle with dermatomyositis including the daily use of a feeding tube, it is time to slow down my involvement with FCFI
Ministry. Janet needs to be No. one now.
The FCFI Board of Directors voted January 8th to bestow me with Executive Director Emeritus status to continue my ministry relationship with FCFI.
My ministry friend, Mike Bond, Executive Director of Global Radio Outreach, wrote in a newsletter that he should be preparing to pass the baton of leadership to a protégé. Someone that he can prepare, teach them what he knows, the history, the vision, etc. Then Mike could begin to hand over the reins, the responsibility, the vision. Mike goes on the say, “You’re out there. You may be reading this. You hear, sense the irresistible call of the Lord, sense that this is for you. Answer it.” Thank you, Mike!
Janet and I would appreciate your continued prayer for us and FCFI as we launch into a new year.
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Yours in Christ, |
Dennis Schlagel
FCFI Executive Director
Cell/text 309-530-7004
