Meet the staff.  

PM Headshot.jpg

Pastor Mark Hochgertel

Lead Pastor

Pastor Mark serves as our lead pastor at FICC. He was born and raised in Pottsville, and currently lives in Lake Wynonah with his wife Cathy and son Adam. He also has two married adult children, Abby and her husband Rudy, and Aaron with his wife Georgia.

After becoming born again in 1978, Pastor Mark began serving as worship leader and youth director at The Lighthouse Church in Orwigsburg in 1981. He completed a two year program through Word of Faith Leadership and Bible School, Dallas, TX and has taken many courses through Light University, American Association of Christian Counselors.  He was ordained as a Pastor in 1987. Pastor Mark, along with Pastor Jim, started FICC in November of 2015.

In his free time, Pastor Mark enjoys spending time with his family and friends, and following his beloved Philadelphia sports teams and auto racing.

"I am very excited to be serving at a church in my former hometown. I want to see FICC truly become a 'place of healing and hope' in every way possible. I believe our best days are ahead of us and we are called to be a vital part of Pottsville’s revitalization!"

Pastor Aaron Hochgertel

Associate Pastor

Meet Aaron Hochgertel, our associate pastor at FICC. He and his wife, Georgia, reside in Pottsville and are active members of the local community. Together, they share their home with their two dogs, Pru and Kingery, and their cat, Icky.

Aaron has been involved in ministry since he was 19, starting as a volunteer youth leader. Throughout the years, he has served in various roles such as youth ministry director, chaplain, and worship leader. In 2015, Aaron helped to establish FICC and served at the church until 2020.

After a short hiatus from ministry, Aaron returned to FICC and was ordained as associate pastor in April 2023. His passion is for the people of Pottsville to discover the truth about Jesus and experience true freedom.

"I believe that God has placed Freedom in Christ Church in Pottsville to share his message of hope with those who are struggling in this world. Jesus can transform anyone's life, and we have to guide them toward him. It's an honor for me to not only serve our church community but also those around us."