Change: The Only Constant in Life

March 2005

Dear Friends:

It has been said that change is the only constant in life, and that is certainly true here at Focus on the Family. In the nearly 30 years that we have been in existence, God has blessed us with periods of tremendous growth and development, enabling us to expand and refine our outreach to meet the needs of families in a rapidly changing culture. In that time, we have welcomed many new friends and colleagues to the Focus staff, and have said farewell to others as the Lord has called them to new areas of service to the Kingdom.

Don Hodel, who has served as our President and CEO since May of 2003, will be stepping down from his position, while Jim Daly — an individual who is probably familiar to anyone who has followed the ministry for any length of time — has been appointed by our Board of Directors to fill his shoes. We're tremendously excited about what this means for the ministry, and I will explain what that is in due course.

First, however, I want to offer my deepest thanks to Don and Barbara Hodel for the personal investment they have made in this ministry over the years, and that they will continue to make in the years to come. As many of you know, Don was an institution here at Focus long before assuming the presidency, having become a personal friend in the late 1980s and ultimately, serving on our Board of Directors since 1995. His extensive experience in the business world, as well as his years of service on Ronald Reagan's Cabinet, made him an obvious choice for the role of President and CEO of the ministry. In agreeing to fill that position, Don lifted many administrative responsibilities off my shoulders, thereby freeing me up to devote more time to writing, speaking and other important endeavors. For that, I am eternally grateful.

In the less than two years that Don has served as President and CEO, he has literally revolutionized Focus on the Family. He orchestrated a complete reorganization effort that we had just begun when he arrived. That initiation has enabled the ministry to enhance its effectiveness in reaching out to families both here in the United States and around the world. As a result of his tireless work, Focus on the Family is poised to be more efficient and effective in the future than ever before. This is true not only in terms of the internal workings of the ministry, but also in terms of our ability to meet the needs of those who contact us in search of assistance. But of all the contributions Don has made, perhaps the most significant is his championing of our Option Ultrasound™ project, which will save the lives of an estimated 4,000 babies this year alone. The legacy of this vision in operation will reverberate for generations to come.

Don and Barbara accepted this assignment out of a deep sense of the Lord's calling on their lives. They certainly didn't do it for the compensation! They offered their time and talents here on a volunteer basis, putting a number of additional personal and professional pursuits on hold in order to devote themselves to their work at Focus. Their home, in fact, is located more than two hours away from our Colorado Springs campus, and so they agreed to commute to town every week, making only short trips back home on the weekends. Would you believe that for the last two years, these precious friends have personally footed their lodging bill, logging more nights away from home than most itinerant preachers! In short, their service here at Focus was just that: service — without any thought of personal gain or benefit.

You're probably asking yourself, "If the Hodels' experience at Focus has been such a positive one, why are they leaving now, when the momentum is so strong?" I should clarify first that Don and Barbara are not "leaving" the ministry at all. Don has agreed to continue serving on our Board of Directors. We're not letting him get away that easily!

However, Don soon will be 70 years of age, and he has set aside numerous personal and professional obligations for the last couple of years that he feels he can no longer ignore. In addition, Don believes — and our management team is in unanimous agreement — that the goals and objectives that were set forth for the ministry when he became President have all been met. In talking with me about his decision, Don told me that a common temptation for leaders is to enjoy their job so much that they end up staying longer than they should. He realized that the Lord had enabled him to accomplish what he had set out to do (and, indeed, what he felt called to do) here at Focus, and that it would be counterproductive for him to try to carry on beyond that point.

That the ministry is in such good shape after less than two years under Don's oversight is testimony not only to his own skills and abilities as an innovator and leader, but to the Lord's continued blessing on our efforts. There is a verse that has been an encouragement to us over the years as the Lord has allowed the ministry of Focus on the Family to grow and expand in such dramatic fashion: "... All the people rejoiced at what God had brought about for his people, because it was done so quickly" (2 Chronicles 29:36, NIV). That verse has taken on an even greater significance for us under Don's tutelage.

Even as Don Hodel prepares to step down (his last day as President and CEO was officially February 25), we are enthusiastic about the next chapter in the Focus on the Family story. Don himself has said that he feels extremely comfortable in departing now because the ministry is in such capable hands. I couldn't agree more. Our new President and CEO will be a tremendous asset to the ministry as we move forward. The Lord has blessed us with an enormous reservoir of qualified, committed, exemplary employees here at Focus, and I'm especially pleased that our new President and CEO will be someone from within our own "ranks."

Jim Daly is probably known to many of you as the former Vice President in charge of Focus on the Family's International Division. He has made numerous appearances on our radio broadcasts to talk about the doors the Lord has opened for Focus in countries as far away as South Africa, China, Taiwan, India and Costa Rica. Indeed, Jim spearheaded the formation of many of our international associate offices through his mastery of cross-cultural ministry and communication. It's not an exaggeration to suggest that Focus on the Family would not have the global presence that it does today, being heard in 163 countries, if not for Jim's wisdom and leadership.

In conjunction with overseeing Focus on the Family's International Division, Jim has also served as Vice President of Marketing, Vice President of Public Affairs, Group Vice President and, most recently, Chief Operating Officer here at the ministry. Each of these assignments has helped to prepare him at the age of 43 for the challenges that lie ahead as he assumes the role of President and CEO.

The story of Jim's experiences leading up to his arrival here at Focus in 1989 is truly compelling. For starters, his life was almost snuffed out while he was still in his mother's womb. Already well into her 40s when she became pregnant with Jim and worried about the potential complications associated with a pregnancy at that stage of life, she seriously considered having an abortion. In the end, Jim's father talked her out of it.

Nevertheless, things were rocky in this southern California household, and his parents divorced when Jim was only 5 years old. When he was 9, his mother remarried — but a year later, she unexpectedly died. After her funeral, he arrived home to find his stepfather's bags packed and a cab waiting for him by the curb. To this grief-stricken 10-year-old, it was apparent that this man wanted nothing more to do with Jim or his older siblings. With his stepfather gone, Jim lived with another family until a year later when his birth father reappeared on the scene, but he, too, soon died — leaving Jim an orphan at the age of 12. Throughout high school, he would reside with his older brother, trying to make the best of a tough situation. Surely, the silver lining to the cloud that seemed to hang over his childhood were the various Christians the Lord placed in the young man's life. In retrospect, Jim credits numerous people and circumstances for leading him to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. With this commitment made, his life was about to change significantly.

In high school, Jim got involved in football, becoming a star quarterback for his team and entertaining a number of college scholarship offers. He loved the game, but he wasn't sure if the gridiron was God's calling on his life. During the final game of the season, he prayed, "Lord, if you don't want me to pursue a career in football, please give me a sign. Allow me to break a bone — but don't let it hurt too much!" Would you believe that during that very game, Jim broke his collar bone — an injury he claimed was painless? Needless to say, he never returned to the football field again.

At 18, he felt that the Lord decisively "closed the book" on those tumultuous years of childhood and adolescence. He was about to have a fresh start. He enrolled in California State University, San Bernardino, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration in 1984. During his senior year, he took part in a foreign studies program and lived with a family in Japan, attending Waseda University in Tokyo. It was during this time abroad that he studied Japanese business and culture and learned the Japanese language. This experience enabled him to discover his love and affinity for international relations. (He would later complete his MBA in International Business at Regis University in 1997.)

Back in the United States after graduation, Jim met and married his lovely wife, Jean. Following a casual meeting at a wedding, it was only because of the persistence of a mutual friend that they had their first date. Numerous attempts to set them up had proven fruitless until their cupid made one last-ditch effort and put together a couple's night out at an Amy Grant concert. A year-and-a-half later, they tied the knot. The Dalys now have two wonderful preschool-aged sons.

Jim served in sales for Tension Envelope Company, and later moved on to International Paper, a multinational company, as sales manager. While there, he worked with a variety of industries including banking, finance, insurance and product sales. Jim moved up the corporate ladder quickly, and was offered a lucrative promotion at the age of 27.

To understand why Jim didn't accept this attractive offer, you need to know that for several years, going back to his college days, he had been listening to the "Focus on the Family" radio broadcast. He was moved by the ministry's desire to spread the Gospel of Christ by reaching out to hurting families, particularly in light of the painful circumstances under which he had grown up. Ten months prior to being offered the promotion with International Paper, he called Ron Wilson, then Administrative Director of Public Affairs at Focus on the Family. Jim knew a company whose services he thought Focus could benefit from using. At the end of the conversation, Ron asked Jim if he ever considered getting into non-profit Christian ministry. Jim had not, but was intrigued by the idea.

The months went by, however, and the opportunities Ron discussed had yet to materialize. By the time he was offered the position with International Paper, he assumed that the Focus ship had sailed. Nevertheless, his manager at International Paper gave him a few days to consider the offer. That very night — a full 10 months after their initial meeting — Ron Wilson called and asked Jim to come to Focus for an interview! He immediately did so, and accepted a job as Assistant to the President in our Public Affairs Division (at literally half the salary he could have made with International Paper — there's a reason why we are known as a "non-profit" organization!). When Jim broke the news a couple of days later, his manager initially was furious. However, when Jim described what the ministry of Focus on the Family was all about and explained his own desire to play a role in strengthening struggling families, his manager demonstrated a dramatic change of heart. "How can I argue with that?" he said, and released Jim with his full approval.

The rest, as they say, is history. In the near future, you'll have the opportunity to hear Jim tell his story personally on our broadcast and occasionally, when I'm writing or traveling, in the pages of this letter. In the meantime, suffice it to say that we are tremendously thankful to the Lord for His mercy and provision in bringing Jim to us in 1989 and for using the intervening years to help prepare him for the awesome responsibility of serving as our President and CEO.

In talking with Jim about his new role, the executive team here at Focus has been tremendously encouraged by his strong desire to "stay the course" in terms of doing what the ministry does best — namely, extending a helping hand to struggling families and standing up in defense of the biblical values they hold dear. At the same time, Jim has a forward-thinking spirit of innovation that will only serve to build upon that foundation in the years ahead. Specifically, he has an earnest desire, which is shared by all of us, to adapt to the needs of younger families in the 21st century and to reach out to those who may never have heard of Focus on the Family before. With God's blessing and Jim's leadership, I'm convinced that we can do just that.

Jim has shared with me that, in serving in the role of President and CEO, he sees himself simply as a conduit for carrying on the work that was started not by me, but by my late father. As many of you know, my dad was an evangelist, and his earnest prayer was that, through future generations of his family, the Gospel of Christ would be carried around the world. Focus on the Family is a direct answer to my father's prayers, and I am humbled and gratified to know that Jim is committed to honoring that legacy.

In case you're wondering, my role as Founder and Chairman of the ministry remains unchanged. When Don Hodel came on board in 2003 to oversee the day-to-day operations of the ministry, I was freed up to devote my time to writing, speaking, recording radio and TV programs and other responsibilities associated with my role as "chief ministry architect" (with a title like that, I should be allowed to wear a badge or a hat of some sort, don't you think?). I will continue to be involved in all of those activities, as well as working to promote the institution of the family and the preservation of moral principles in government.

Please remember the ministry of Focus on the Family in your prayers when we come to mind, won't you? I know that Jim and Jean would appreciate your intercession as he begins to tackle the numerous challenges and responsibilities associated with this transition. Don and Barbara Hodel, too, would value your prayers as together they prepare to focus on a number of important endeavors outside of Focus. Finally, pray for Shirley and me and the entire staff here at ministry headquarters. Each day seems to be busier than the one before, and we need the Lord's strength and endurance as we continue our efforts to strengthen families in Christ's name.

I can't close without saying a word about Easter, which we will celebrate at the end of this month. The amazing reality of this observance is that Christ's death and resurrection represent the God of the universe reaching down to His children in their own spiritual poverty and rescuing them from the clutches of sin and despair. The Apostle Paul tells us that Jesus "made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:7-8, NIV). The knowledge that Christ poured himself out on our behalf — and that through His life, death and resurrection we are empowered to reach out to others in His Name — is a truth that is almost too wonderful to comprehend.

God's blessings to you all,

James C. Dobson, Ph.D.
Founder and Chairman