Q&A with FCA Area Director, Emmett Morgan

I had the opportunity to speak with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Area Director, Emmett Morgan. Morgan has been involved with FCA since 2004 and has been making huge impacts with each passing year.

"I do see student athletes grow in their faith, initiate team Bible studies, pray together after games," Morgan says. "Those are my wins that let me know that the ministry is having an impact."

The College of Charleston is lucky enough to have Morgan as their region representative for the chapter here on campus. Morgan attends each bible study, or "huddle," that the chapter hosts every week and helps further the study the athletes have prepared for that evening.

He is always a key aspect to the group, especially when the scripture is difficult to comprehend or adapt to everyday life. Morgan always finds a way for the athletes to take what is trying to be conveyed and enable the student-athletes to apply it to their lives.

"My hope is that they will recognize they are athletes not by genetics but by a gift from God," Morgan stated.

Below are the responses from Emmett Morgan that really shape the picture of what it means to be an area director. I chose a different color to outline the answers Morgan has provided me with to make for an easy read. Enjoy!

Q: How did you get involved with FCA?

Emmett Morgan and his wife, Theresa Morgan

A: My first career after college was banking. First in retail banking doing various jobs at the branch level, and at the end, managing a Private Banking Group as a financial planner. Through the influence of my boss in 2001, the Gospel was shared with me in a way that for the first time I fully understood and ultimately wanted to live my life for Christ. I was doing well in banking, but felt a stirring in my heart to share the Gospel with young people in some sort of para-church ministry. I began researching what types of ministries were out there that would fill the need I felt, and ultimately landed with FCA in June 2004. I had never been involved with FCA prior to that and had not even heard of them. Having been an athlete and still athletic, I loved the platform FCA operated on and their ministry plan of sharing the Gospel “to and through” coaches and athletes.  

Q: Describe your role in FCA.

A: My role in FCA is Area Director – I am responsible for the ministry of FCA in middle schools, high schools, and colleges in Charleston, Berkeley, Colleton, and Dorchester Counties. This involves the expansion of ministry – getting into as many schools or recreation fields as possible; hiring staff; and implementing and overseeing the budget for the ministry and each employee (employees are responsible for raising their own support). FCA is highly volunteer focused, there are over 55 FCA Huddles in the Lowcountry with over 3,000 student-athletes and coaches involved. There are only 3 employees, which means the bulk of the ministry is done through coaches and student leaders.

Q: What does your role mean to you?

A: What it means to me is that God has blessed FCA with access to public school campuses and teams unlike any other ministry. I want to see that continue. At a greater level, in a time when more young people leave the church (age 14 – 25), I see FCA as a way to share the Gospel with student athletes at school as opposed to church. Ultimately, with coaches having such tremendous influence over their athletes, and athletes over non-athletes, I fear a day that a coach or athlete may be asked at Heaven’s Gate “I put X amount of athletes and kids under your control each season, what did you tell them about Me?” My role is to strengthen coaches and athletes in their faith and encourage them to share that faith with others.

Q: What kind of impact do you see on the student-athletes you meet with?

A: Sadly, my job is to cast seeds onto the ground and allow God to produce the fruit. I worked with FCA for three years before a student ever said that something we did or said at FCA had changed his life. However, I do see student athletes grow in their faith, initiate team Bible studies, pray together after games, and remember to thank God for a touchdown or win. Those are my wins that let me know that the ministry is having an impact.

Emmett with his adorable daughter Emi!

Q: What do you hope for the most for the student-athletes who are involved with FCA?

A: My greatest hope for student-athletes involved with FCA is that they will be strong in their faith, at a time and in their age, when being religious is often mocked or disregarded. My hope is that they will recognize they are athletes not by genetics but by a gift from God, and they will use the influence they have been given to live out their lives as strong Christians.

Q: What is your favorite aspect about FCA?

A: In a time when the vocal minority has the influence to force the Christian majority to not have prayer in school or before games, it gives me tremendous delight that FCA goes onto public school campuses and holds Bible studies in the classrooms. It gives me tremendous delight that FCA is often the largest club on a campus. Lastly, I love when a student comes up through middle school involved in FCA, goes to FCA at high school, and then is still involved at college. The biggest “win” is to see a coach, who was involved with FCA in middle school, and now at age 40, 50, or 60, is still doing FCA with his fellow coaches or his team. (I haven’t been involved long enough to see that happen yet), but I do see it in coaches that were involved with FCA even before I was born.