Dear Teammates, 

This email is going to catch you by surprise I'm sure. For several months, God has been giving me a new call and assignment. After 20 years at Alabama, this is farewell as of December 31, 2002. I will be joining Jerry Jenkins, popular writer of the LEFT BEHIND book series and his Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild. I will begin my new assignment on January 2, 2003 which takes me to Colorado Springs, Colorado.

My letter attached is lengthy but it explains how this opportunity came to me last April and how God just gave me a clear directive. I have never received such assurance for a decision in my life. Print it out and read it sometime. Since we live in a fishbowl here, I just felt I had to wait until after the football season to reveal this major change. I made the decision two months ago to make the announcement this week, the week after the Hawaii game. It just happened that Coach Fran's departure came at the same time.

This is my 18th year as FCA advisor and I have put together some 550 weekly programs. My Wednesday nights won't be quite the same I can assure you. The blessing has been all mine to serve several hundred students over these 18 years in campus FCA ministry. Many times I have thought how neat it will be in Heaven to see all the students again and talk about those meetings and how much fun we had. Also, how we were blessed to hear so many great talks and see life changing decisions made, many for ternity sake. I will miss all of you dearly and will be praying for you regularly. As our meeting schedule ended for the first semester, there wasn't an opportunity to explain my departure. The Rally Wednesday night was a highly blessed occasion as you know if you were there. The church was packed.

Jeremiah Castille will keep the torch of FCA burning brightly. What a blessing his coming has been and the ministry will flourish under his leadership. I am so grateful to leave with FCA in good hands. Also, our great leadership team of Lance Taylor, Boone Stutz, Mandy Tedder, Clint Johnston, Joel Babb and many others will keep the group going strong.

Again, my letter explains the whole story and expresses my love for all of you. I will stay in touch and keep you ever in my thoughts and prayers. May you follow and be reminded of Jeremiah 29:11 for your life. God does have a special plan for your life as He has in mine. I will be around a while longer and will see many of you before departing. It is not easy to leave. However, God has given me an eager excitement about this new ministry as my letter explains. I will always want to stay in touch and know that I will always be available for you. May exam week go smoothly and your Christmas break be the best. 

Faithfully and lovingly yours, Mr. A