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2003 Annual Report > PDF Format
Members and friends of OCF,
In 2003 Officers’
Christian Fellowship continued to grow. Over 13,000 officers, spouses and
others interested in the fellowship now belong to OCF.
On the
financial front, with help from an improving economy and your faithful support,
2003 was a very good year. The Lord blessed us and we were able to execute a
somewhat more aggressive budget and still finish the year in very good
shape.
But the real story of our ministry in 2003 was the war in
Iraq and the myriad ways we were able to demonstrate the wonderful flexibility
we have as a lay organization. OCF members and leaders were present in a
significant number of ground units that carried the war to downtown Baghdad and
beyond. We had members and/or fellowships in the air units that supported those
troops. There were active Bible study fellowships on aircraft carriers that
helped carry the air war into Iraq. And, at every turn, our members were able
to step forward to assist and support their often overwhelmed
chaplains.
On the home front, we provided thousands of copies of
the “100 Days Bible Study” to deploying units. Chaplains ordered, and
we sent out, such quantities of our book “Deployed, Not Disconnected”
that we ran out and reordered halfway through the year. We sent out more than
3,000 of our “Service Separations” booklet.
At the
academies, universities, and service schools our staff impacted the lives of
young officer candidates and ministered to those training for war. Our field
staff traveled extensively to bases worldwide. In the U.S. and overseas our
“Wives of Warriors” team offered advice, comfort and counsel to those
families left behind during long and often extended deployments.
Meanwhile, at our Conference Centers in Colorado and Pennsylvania we provided
respite, relaxation and spiritual recovery for combat weary warriors and their
families.
I couldn’t be prouder of our small staff and our
lay leaders and members worldwide who carried out our mission of
“Christian officers exercising biblical leadership to raise up a godly
military.”
We serve a merciful and all-powerful God.
Lt
Gen Bruce L Fister, USAF (Ret.) Executive Director |
