Richard Rathel, C12 Chair - North Central Florida

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Richard began his career in the Pest Control industry, where he eventually rose to be executive over a region with multiple offices.  He received recognition as a key leader in the $100 million company and it  appeared that he had “arrived” at his goal of career success.  This is when the Lord gave him a choice…this job or Him and family. Richard, a Christian since he was eight, finally submitted to Jesus as Lord of his life.  He left his lucrative position and started a company in his home town.

Driving in his car during this life crossroads, Richard heard a Focus on the Family broadcast  featuring business owners who were dedicated to operating their businesses as Jesus would.  They referred him to an organization called Fellowship of Companies for Christ International, (FCCI), who connected him with FCCI’s Florida Coordinator, Buck Jacobs.

Under Buck’s mentoring, Richard started a weekly FCCI Fellowship Group, traveled to Tampa to attend Buck’s group, and joined the founding C12 Group in Tampa shortly after it began.  Richard then served as Florida FCCI Coordinator and later as Regional Director for the “Son Shine” Region which covered Florida and the Caribbean.

During these years, Richard continued to lead his pest control company, through times of prosperity and trials, while frequently facing choices to either obey God’s Word or seek his own way and experience brokenness and remolding from Jesus.  As the Lord increasingly led Richard to help equip others to run their companies according to Biblical principles, he sold his company to focus on this passion to see business owners fulfill their calling to “full-time marketplace ministry”.  He became a C12 Chair in 1999 and currently leads two C12 groups and one Key Players group.

Richard still attends that fellowship group begun 15 years ago and also serves on the Advisory Board of Choose Life, Inc., which exists to promote the “Choose Life” specialty Florida license plate to raise money for adoption.  He and his wife Dottie, Executive Director of a Crisis Pregnancy Center, have been married for 23 years and have two children, Whitney 19, and Jordan 16.  They happily reside in Ocala, Florida.