March 30, 2026
Grandfather of FCA Michigan, Bruce Oosterhouse, has stayed in the game for over six decades
FCA CEO and President Shane Williamson: ‘We are incredibly grateful for Bruce’s commitment and legacy’
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — In 1954, Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA, www.fca.org) was founded to challenge coaches and athletes to use the dynamic platform of sport to reach their peers with the transforming power of Jesus Christ.
Just 10 years later, college football player Bruce Oosterhouse was invited to attend a new campus ministry.
“I was 24 years old,” recalled Oosterhouse. “I didn’t know anybody. I couldn’t help but think, ‘Man, this is so exciting. We’re going to start FCA in the state of Michigan.’”
A few years later, while teaching at a high school, Oosterhouse reached out to Michigan FCA’s newly appointed state director. That connection led to an invitation to join the state leadership board and help lead FCA’s efforts across Western Michigan.
More than six decades later, Oosterhouse remains a crucial pillar of FCA’s presence throughout the state. From his days as a football player at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, to his hall-of-fame career as a teacher, baseball and football coach, and basketball referee, and now in his longtime role as a state and local FCA board member, Oosterhouse has walked alongside the organization every step of the way. Wherever FCA has been active in Michigan, he has been there too.
Shane Williamson, FCA President and CEO, shared, “God has done awesome work through a remarkable man and tenure that spans over 60 years. We are incredibly grateful for Bruce’s commitment and legacy.”
“He has done anything and everything in this ministry,” remarked Brian Broekhuizen, FCA Director for Kent County, Michigan. “He is simply the pioneer and grandfather of FCA, not just in Western Michigan, but the entire state.”
In 1969, Oosterhouse began an unbroken streak of attending FCA Camps each year. According to Oosterhouse, the camps have affected him just as much as the students.
“I was exposed to other coaches,” said Oosterhouse. “Some were college coaches, some professional coaches, and I just fell in love with this because I could see how it was impacting people. It really changed me and impacted my life.”
That first camp proved to be a turning point, as he was encouraged to start an FCA Huddle at Kenowa Hills High School in Grand Rapids, where he taught and coached before being inducted into the school’s athletic hall of fame. Beyond the Huddles, Oosterhouse helped launch an FCA adult chapter in 1974 — one that continues to thrive today.
Reflecting on his storied tenure with FCA, Oosterhouse emphasizes the vital role of Fellowship.
“I have met people who, when we sat down and talked, it wasn’t about X’s and O’s,” shared Oosterhouse. “It was about friendships. College coaches would ask me how they could pray for me, and I would be taken aback. I’d think, ‘I ought to be praying for you.’ The ‘F’ in FCA is so important. It’s important for coaches to be around other coaches and to have that fellowship.”
Oosterhouse concluded, “It’s pretty incredible as you look back and see the impact that FCA has had on hundreds of thousands of kids who have gone to camp or had an FCA experience at school, or even the coaches we’ve reached through coaches clinics. I get to see kids’ lives change. I get to see coaches’ lives change. And that’s what it’s all about.”
The Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ vision is to see the world transformed by Jesus Christ through the influence of coaches and athletes. Its mission is to lead every coach and athlete into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and His church. FCA’s guiding values are integrity, serving, teamwork and excellence.
Since 1954, FCA has used the powerful medium of sports and building relationships to reach the world for Jesus Christ. FCA is cultivating Christian principles by engaging, equipping and empowering coaches and athletes to know and grow in Christ and lead others to do the same so that lives are changed for current and future generations.
Visit Fellowship of Christian Athletes at fca.org and on Facebook, Instagram or X (formerly Twitter).
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To interview a Fellowship of Christian Athletes representative, contact Hamilton Strategies, Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, Beth Bogucki, 610.584.1096, ext. 105, or Jeff Tolson, ext. 108.
