FWB teen founder of Facebook page with 1.9 million 'likes'

FORT WALTON BEACH — It started as a way to inspire Christians close to him. Almost 2 million people later, it’s become so much more.

Tre Loren Fields didn’t expect his Facebook page — “I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me” — to reach more than his friends on the social network website. Now, though, his page has reached almost 2 million “likes.”

 “It’s almost unreal that I have contact with that many people,” the 19-year-old Northwest Florida State College student said. “I started it when I was 16 when Facebook pages were getting popular, and it just started to multiply.”

Fields chose to name his group after his favorite Bible verse, Philippians 4:13.

 “It’s an encouraging Bible verse for people,” said Fields, who lives in Fort Walton Beach. “It’s not some random Bible verse. It speaks to very strong Christians and people who may not know God.

“It’s so deep, so strong.”

Fields’ page hit 1 million “likes” last May and now has 1.9 million.

“The page has recently slowed down a little bit. The last two weeks it skyrocketed and the numbers are starting to go right back up,” he said.

“I like to do at least three posts a day," added Fields, who attends Lighthouse of Faith Community Church on Lovejoy Road. “Sometimes they’re random pictures or sayings like the one that said, ‘Like if Jesus is No. 1.’ That one got 60,000 ‘likes’ in like five hours.”

He said fans won’t find his name on the Facebook page; he likes to keep himself out of the spotlight.

“It’s about the random statuses and the pictures,” he said. “I’m afraid if people see my name attached to it, they’ll think of the page differently.”

Recently, Fields’ group has caught the attention of more than just his “like” fans. Businesses have contacted him in hopes of putting their products on his Facebook page or even purchasing it.

He said with the little advertising he does allow, he makes more in two weeks than he does at his part-time job at Santa Rosa Mall.

“A lot of people have offered me different things — money, a new camera, a new Mac book — but I don’t want to sell the page,” Fields said. “It’s not for strictly advertising, and I feel like if I sell the page that’s what it will become. I want to keep it as long as I can.”

Fields said he is very selective about who can advertise on his page. Recently, a T-shirt company that benefits benefit a Christian charity has found a place alongside a local author who has written a Christian book.

“It’s really meant just for fans to be inspired on a daily basis,” he said.