To know about Ikthoos, we would like to tell
you about our Founder & CEO George Fuller, how Ikthoos was established, and
what Ikthoos offers.
George grew up in church. However, he believed
he was a good person and going to church would save him from hell. His next
door neighbors offered to take him to church. During a youth activity his 8th
grade year, George heard the Gospel. The Gospel says that Jesus died for sinners.
Nothing we do can do what Jesus did. Jesus died to bring us back to God.
Understanding that church attendance did not provide salvation any more than
being in a garage turned him into a car, George responded to the Gospel and was
saved.
George continued to grow closer to God through
the Bible and church attendance. He enjoyed interacting with teens in the youth
group. One very important part of his spiritual growth was one-on-one
discipleship. The neighbors that took him to church took him under their wing
to train him to be a follower of Jesus.
During high school, George completed 2 years of
vocational technical training in Building and Construction Trades. He also
gained knowledge and experience on the jobsite. George joined the Army right
after he graduated high school. After 3 years of Active Duty Army, he switched
to the Army Reserves right before his first semester at Baptist Bible College,
Springfield, MO.
George met his future wife at church, where
they are still members. Together they have 3 children. He and his family are
active in their church. He and his wife assist in the youth department and are
pursuing certification as Biblical Counselors.
George graduated with a Bachelors of Arts in
Intercultural Studies from Baptist Bible College. George has been in the Army
for over 13 years and has been deployed twice to the Middle East. He is
currently an Army Senior Instructor at the Military Occupational Specialty
Reclassification and Non-Commissioned Officer School for Chaplain Assistants.
George has owned different businesses over the
years. Apart from his entrepreneurial “lawn care service” he started in middle
school, George’s first business was a shoe shine stand. Fuller Shine was a very
successful startup. Next he started a pressure washing business. Though this
business was a very successful startup as well, George needed something that
wasn’t seasonal. So he started another business.
The first home that George and his wife bought
was a brand new house. Unfortunately, the house was built very poorly. The
developer did not honor the 1 year builder’s warranty. With their house built
the way it was, his educational background, and on the job experience, George
completed home inspection certification and started a home inspection business.
During his time as a Home Inspector, George
became involved with local business networking groups. As he met new people, he
heard testimonies from Christian business owners about their faith in Jesus. Their faith set the tone for their life,
to include their business practices. Encouraged by the commonality and
commitment of fellow Christians, George set out to bring them together.
Ikthoos was established after George
spent over a year in research and development on a website that would service
these businesses. George originally envisioned a Christian online business
directory called christianownedbusiness.org. However, he wanted the website to
be more inclusive. By changing the name to Ikthoos (a phonetic spelling of the
Greek word “fish”) and adding the general term "organizations,"
George developed a mechanism that links people to Businesses, Churches,
Missionaries, Non-profits, and other organizations committed to God's glory.
George and his family are
passionate about Church and Missions work. Ikthoos is a website that tells the
Gospel. The Ikthoos Statement of Faith is essentially the Gospel. Anyone
interested in membership will have to consider the Gospel and their personal
response.
So those are some things
you need to know about George.
