Sim Fulcher

What Brought You to FPC?
The short answer is “God”. But I think of it as God using three C’s: 1) Challenge - The challenge of helping to shape an adult education ministry which I feel calls on all my ministry experience. 2) Call - The call of God through the people of First Presbyterian Church to serve Christ on a ministry team and administrative staff that may very well be second to none in our entire denomination, and led by an extraordinarily gifted man of God in Dan Chun. 3) Compassion - The sense of the compassion of Christ expressed in and through the congregation of First Prez and experienced especially in the worship services. Experiencing First Prez at first hand was irresistibly compelling to my wife and me, even more compelling and far surpassing the natural attractions of the “paradise” state of Hawaii.

How Long Have You Been at First Presbyterian Church?
A little over three years.

What Ministries Are You Involved in at First Prez?
My primary assigned areas of ministry are Adult Education, Men’s Ministry, and Retired Active Adults known as RAA. I preach on occasion and of course am involved in counseling and visitation as are all the pastors.

What is the Most Rewarding Part of Your Ministry?
To have a hand in helping another to be strengthened and encouraged in their Christian faith - be it through teaching a class, through counseling another, through preaching a sermon, or through designing a program in Christian growth. My joy comes not in just seeing biblical truth transferred from the pages of the Bible to another’s brain and end there. What excites me is seeing God touch their heart through it. When that happens my work is done, and I don’t feel my work is done until that happens.

How did you become a Christian?
My understanding of “What is a Christian?” was drastically altered - Altered primarily through a Presbyterian elder who befriended me and helped me to see that becoming a Christian was not through working for all I was worth to please God, but rather through a new birth. It would come, I was helped to understand, through a deliberate act of confessing to God my heartfelt failure to please Him and by asking for his forgiveness, his wisdom, and his power to do what is right - all made possible through Christ’s death on the cross and His resurrection. This elder was on part-time staff of a high school parachurch organization called Young Life.

I experienced this new birth.

I was alone with Christ in my bedroom one night when I was a Junior in high school - weighing the information expressed in the paragraph above. My prayer was simple: “Jesus, if you’re here at the door of my heart, then it is open for you to come in.” This was the culmination of a long stand off by me. He did come in as He said He would in Revelation 3:20. Bells did not ring. Fireworks did not go off. But I have not for one moment been the same since that night. It was a sane matter-of-fact decision on my part. There were no feelings except that of relief from the struggle as I surrendered unconditionally to the unconditional love of Christ.

God’s Spirit assured me of eternal life.

I was not fully aware of what took place that night until months later when a good friend asked me about my relationship with God. I found myself, much to my surprise, telling him with great assurance that I knew I belonged to Jesus Christ both now and forever. It was not until I made this public statement that I experienced accompanying feelings. It was as if God’s Spirit was affirming me within my spirit that I was His forever. To have this knowledge caused me to have such great feelings that I remember exactly where I was and everything about that moment.

What is your favorite book of the Bible?
The Gospel of John. John tells not only the “what” about Jesus
but attempts to tell the “why”. Because of this inquisitiveness
of John, of all the disciples I identify with him the most. I never tire of his book.

Who is your favorite author?
The person I have read more than anyone else is Oswald Chambers. His words have many layers of meaning, such that
rereading his writings often reveal new insights not seen in
previous readings.

If you could have dinner with a famous person living or dead who would it be?
I think it would be Oswald Chambers. I would love to get his
insights on many things. I would be asking so many questions
he would not get a chance to eat. For a biblical figure it would be the apostle Paul. Again, he would not get much dinner eaten.

Favorite movie?
All time - Ben Hur.

Favorite T.V. show.
All time - Dick Van Dyke / Mary Tyler Moore show. Does this
reveal my age or what?

My favorite at McDonald's?
I/4 pounder without cheese (Mon.)
6 piece chicken nugget (Tue.)
Fish sandwich (Thu.)
Cherry Pie - which they no longer have.

Places you haven’t been you would like to visit?
Eastern Europe, London, Paris

What are your hobbies?
Fishing, photography, drawing and art, astronomy, reading, golf, watching sports, gardening, the beach.

What do you like most about Hawaii ?
Besides FPC I like the beautiful colors in nature, the warm air, the warm people, the beach.

What do you like the least about Hawaii?
The cars, the cars, the cars.

What would you do for another career?
I would have been a design engineer or some kind of writer.

Tell us about your family?
Mimi and I, both born in the same hospital in Augusta, Georgia,
three years apart, celebrated 45 great years together this past June (2003). We have three grown children and eight grandchildren ranging from 13 years old to 6 months. They all
live on the mainland in the eastern time zone. I have a lot more to say about this question 29 - just ask me.

What do you do to relax?
Read, write, draw, listen to music, take pictures, go to the beach. I would say golf, but after a golf game I usually have to rethink my whole life.

What one word describes you?
I’m an on-time person trapped in a late person’s body.

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