STATEMENT OF BELIEFS
There is one God, eternally existing in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
The Bible is God’s written and inspired revelation to man and is the primary authority for man’s life.
We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, death on the cross to provide redemption, resurrection, bodily ascension into heaven, present ministry of intercession for us, and His return to earth in power and glory.
We believe in the personality and deity of the Holy Spirit, His power to perform the miracle of the new birth in unbelievers and to indwell believers, enabling them to live a godly life.
Man was created in the image of God, and because of sin was alienated from God–that alienation can be removed only by accepting, through faith, God’s gift of salvation which was made possible by Christ’s atoning death and resurrection.
Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church, and all believers are to assemble together regularly for worship, for edification through the Scriptures, and for mutual encouragement.
Jesus Christ commanded all believers to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world and to disciple people in every nation. The fulfillment of that Great Commission requires that all worldly and personal ambitions be subordinated to a total commitment to “Him who loved us and gave Himself for us.
History
In 1896, Charles M. Sheldon’s book, “In His Steps,” was first published. It challenged readers to ask the question, “What would Jesus do?” before making decisions or taking action.
Almost eighty years after “In His Steps,” was published, Robert L. “Bobby” Mitchell, a young Atlanta businessman, received a copy. He understood that applying the question “What would Jesus do?” has incredible ramifications. Nevertheless, he was determined that following Jesus’ steps through the business world was exactly what God was calling him to do.
Bobby’s commitment to Bible study led him to join a group of business people – many of whom were top Atlanta executives. Their integrity and faithfulness impressed him, and it did not take long to discover that God was calling others to walk with Him in their businesses. Bobby’s prayers for the future were answered when his friend B.G. “Bert” Stumberg, approached him about a company – Applied Ceramics, Inc. – that was in need of new direction and fresh leadership.
Bobby brought Bert to his Bible study and soon, Bert renewed his commitment to Christ, and the two dedicated themselves to operating their companies based on Biblical principles. In 1977 their search for wisdom led them to a Leadership Dynamics meeting in Point Clear, Alabama, where their vision of leading a company for Christ was clarified and Bill Leonard accepted Jesus as his personal Savior.
Bill began his journey with Bobby and Bert, and soon Larry Burkett joined their cause. Together these men invited many of Georgia’s Christian business leaders to hear the vision that God was developing, and to encourage them to join in pursuing that vision. Out of that meeting came a group of seven that struggled together for the next two years learning how to walk with Christ in their personal and business lives. Bobby, Bert, Bill and Larry along with Jim Moye, Ben Lively and Tom Harris formed a nucleus that actually functioned much like what has become an FCCI Business Leadership Group or CBO Resource Team. These men, along with Jim Pursell and Smith Lanier, became the original FCCI Board of Directors.
