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Gulf Coast Gets New Director To Help Grow FCA In Area

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JACKSON, Mississippi - Mississippi FCA is pleased to announce Kiel Higginbotham as the next State Director of Mississippi. Kiel will begin serving in his new role September 1, 2020. Higginbotham, who has served with FCA since 2011, will transition from his current role as Multi-Area Director for Southwest Mississippi into his new role as State Director. Kiel follows 25-year FCA staff veteran Bill Buckley as the Mississippi State Director as Bill and his wife Mary move to the Mississippi Gulf Coast where Bill will serve as Area Director. The Mississippi Gulf Coast is currently an unstaffed area for FCA.

Buckley says, “Kiel Higginbotham was a unanimous choice as the next Mississippi FCA

State Director. Kiel excels in organizational and strategic planning and our Mississippi

staff know him and love him. Kiel loves and pursues the Lord, and he’s ready to lead

our state!”

In his nine years of FCA staff ministry, Higginbotham has served in the field as an Area Representative, Area Director and Multi-Area Director prior to his new position as State Director. Mississippi FCA has 50 full-time and part-time staff who will be serving under Kiel’s leadership. Higginbotham states, “My prayer is that God would use FCA as a vehicle to bring many people to faith in Christ, and, alongside His church, to lead a

disciple-making movement across our great state. The global platform of sports is

enormous today. Our hope and goal is to insert the good news of Jesus Christ into

every locker room and on every field, court, and campus in Mississippi.”

FCA Mississippi ministers to thousands of coaches and students on a weekly basis.

Last year Mississippi had over 500 campus huddles (small group studies) and 50

coaches huddles meeting regularly around God’s Word. FCA also sees thousands of

coaches and students come through our camps each year in Mississippi. The focus of

the FCA ministry in Mississippi is to stay true to the Word of God while accomplishing

the mission of FCA: To lead every coach and athlete into a growing relationship with

Christ and His church.

In his new position as State Director, Higginbotham will seek to lead his staff to be

healthy and effective ministers who advance the Gospel across Mississippi and globally through the influence of coaches and athletes. FCA Mississippi Chair Clint Herring says, “The selection of Kiel Higginbotham as the new FCA State Director will be a true blessing to the athletes, coaches and FCA staff in Mississippi. Kiel is now a veteran FCA leader who has literally ‘grown into’ this position as a result of God’s favor and Kiel’s diligent and faithful service. Kiel loves people and has remarkable leadership qualities which I am confident will lead to sustained Mississippi FCA momentum and vision for the future.”  

Kiel is originally from Louisville, Mississippi, where he attended Louisville High School.

He graduated with a BA in History from Belhaven University in Jackson where he also

played baseball. Kiel is currently working towards an MA in Theological Studies from

Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Kiel, his wife Lara, and their two sons, Jett

(6) and Lake (2), live in Brandon.