Divine Opportunity

by John O’Malley

You followed the divine invitation to be right where you are in ministry. You did not know what all God had for you from the moment you submitted to His will for you. But you trusted, and he’s been faithful.

None ever had a full indication of how God would show Himself strong in their lives.

Like the three fishers of fish in the Gospels, God said, I want you to follow Me. Their obedience to follow God gave them three distinct views during their three-year ministry with Christ. Their obedience gave them an opportunity to walk with God, an opportunity to watch God, and an opportunity to work with God.

Your obedience to God’s direction for your life is identical to the three fishermen who became fishers of men. You sensed God’s nudging, and you heeded. Then God continued His work in you.

His direction gave you an opportunity to walk with God. In your life and ministry, you are walking with God. You have His presence, His promises, and His protection, no matter what you face. You have His guarantee of His expected outcome as you walk with Him — a fisher of men.

Right now, because you followed, you watch God in your ministry. Today, He is working in your heart, in the life of your family, and in the homes of your people.

Surely, the disciples took moments to reflect on the things God was doing in them.

If you have not recently taken time to reflect on watching God do His work in you, I urge you to look around and discover or rediscover what He is doing around you, in you, and with you.

As with the three fishers of men, God’s invitation to follow Him was an opportunity to work with God. These fishers worked with each other. They worked within the fishing community. These men knew a camaraderie in life, but now, this calling – His calling – to take on another occupation changed their lives. They would work with God. The same God Who spoke the world into existence will now let them work with Him.

Remember, wherever you serve, God is working. He is always working out His plan.

Yours for the harvest,
John O’Malley

From the Memo Board: November 2021

Dates to Know

November 1 – September Financial Reports will be due for US Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

November 1 – October Financial Reports will be due for Non-Resident Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

November 11 – Most US Banks will be closed for Veterans Day.

November 25-26 – The Office will be closed in celebration of Thanksgiving.

December 1 – October Financial Reports will be due for US Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

December 1 – November Financial Reports will be due for Non-Resident Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

December 7 – All prayer letters the Office assists in mailing through prayerletters.com should be submitted to our staff in order for your recipients to get them before Christmas.

December 15 – Please contact us by this date via Signal if you will need funds in your account before Christmas or the end of the year.

December 17 – All prayer letters the Office assists in sending solely through MailChimp should be submitted to our staff in order for your recipients to get them by the end of the year.

December 20-24 – The office will be closed in celebration of Christmas.

January 1 – November Financial Reports will be due for US Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

January 1 – December Financial Reports will be due for Non-Resident Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

January 10 – Missionaries will receive their statements of December Support Received.

January 12 – All missionaries will receive their final December support on this day, regardless of the day they normally receive support.

January 15 – December Financial Reports will be due for US Missionaries, along with any remaining receipts or financial paperwork for 2021. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.

February 1 – 1099 Forms and other tax documentation for the 2021 tax year will be available.

Family Fellowship Week Returns!

We are excited to announce the return of Family Fellowship Week! This week has always been a highlight for our missions family, and we have missed it these past few years. This year’s meeting will be held April 11-15, 2022, at the Caraway Conference Center in the Asheboro, NC, area. Please make plans to join us! We need your tentative answer, regardless of whether you will come or not, by November 15. If you have not already registered your reply, please click here today. If your plans change, please let us know as soon as possible. Final reservations need to be communicated to the office by February 1, 2022.

This is a time to gather for fellowship and encouragement. Meals, lodging, and child care are provided. Attendees should plan to stay the entire week. There will be preaching and teaching sessions in the morning and evening, with free time in the afternoons. The week provides opportunities to rub shoulders with fellow servants around the world, in all stages of ministry. Please plan to join us.

January Income Totals

During a typical month, we close the books on the 25th, and any checks received after that date are posted to the following month. Due to receipting requirements, we cannot do this in the month of December. As a result, please be aware that your December support total may be higher than normal, while your January support total may be lower than normal. Please be sure to plan ahead for this! In addition, because of these changes, normal pay dates are adjusted. Be sure to check the important dates section above!

Upcoming Financial Reports for US Missionaries

Please prepare now to ensure that your year-end financial reports are submitted on time. October reports are due December 1, November reports are due January 1, and December reports are due January 15. If it is possible for you to submit reports before the due dates, that would greatly assistant our staff. Please note, it is fine to submit a report without waiting for the Line 1 income figure. We can add that for you as needed. Reports should be submitted to [email protected]. Please be sure to include all receipts for expenses $75 and over at the same time you submit your report so there are no delays in processing. Thank you for your help in these areas.

New Executive Board Members

We are grateful for the men who sacrificially give of their time and energies to lead the mission agency. We are pleased to announce some recent changes to our Executive Board!

Danny Whetstone was elected as the new Chairman of the Board. Bro. Whetstone became an Executive Board Member in 1976 while pastoring in TN. In 1985 he resigned the pastorate to serve as a missionary in Grenada. Since returning from the field, he has held several positions with WWNTBM, including President and Vice-Chairman of the Board. He and his wife Darleen continue traveling and speaking in missions conferences around the globe. They have four adult children.

Michael West was elected as the new Vice-Chairman of the Board. Bro. West has served on our Executive Board since 1999, and has previously served as the Second Vice-Chairman. He has pastored Memorial Baptist Church in Ocala, FL, since 1982. He and his wife Boone have three adult children.

In addition to the above new officers, the Executive Board also added the following new members.

Frank Camp has been appointed to the Executive Board of WWNTBM. Bro. Camp has served on our Board of Reference since 2010. He has pastored Victory Baptist Church in Darlington, SC, since 2017. Prior to accepting the pastorate in SC, he taught at Ambassador Baptist College for many years, and also previously pastored two churches in NC for twenty-four years. He and his wife Renee have three married daughters and twelve grandchildren, including Christa (and John) Boylston, who served with World Wide for many years in Pohnpei.

David Fulp has been appointed to the Executive Board. Bro. Fulp has served on our Board of Reference since 2017. He pastored for twenty-eight years before moving to Bethel Baptist Church in Rockwell, NC, in 2020. He and his wife Lisa have two married children, including Stephanie (and Tim) Germano, who serve as World Wide missionaries in the Dominican Republic.

John O’Malley has been appointed to the Executive Board. Bro. O’Malley has held many positions with WWNTBM since 1993. Most recently, he was appointed to serve as President in February of 2020, a position he will continue to hold simultaneously to serving on the Executive Board. He and his wife Kim served as missionaries to Grenada, and also pastored in AL prior to coming with World Wide. They have one married son.

Michael Renfrow has been appointed to the Executive Board. Bro. Renfrow has served on our Board of Reference since 2016. He has pastored Trinity Baptist Church in Wilson, NC, since 2014. Prior to pastoring, he served as an evangelist for 21 years. He and his wife Priscilla have two married sons, and two daughters still living at home.

New Babies

Violet Claire Stelzig was born on September 30. She weighed 8 pounds 13 ounces and was 21 inches long. Violet is the daughter of Nick and Lindsey Stelzig. She joins older siblings Gabe (6), Ellie (4), and Lucy (2). The Stelzigs are church planters in Lawrence, MA, in the greater Boston area.

Christy Sue Folkers was born on September 16. She weighed 8 pounds 3 ounces and was 19.5 inches long. Christy is the daughter of Seth and Kaitlin Folkers.  She joins older siblings Atarah (3), and Beniah (20 months). The Folkers are work with a mobile Bible Institute and assist church planters in Cameroon.

 

Daniel Hadad was born on October 17. He is the first born child of Jamil and Karla Hadad, who minister in the Middle East.

Righteous Rides Is Coming To Charlotte

Righteous Rides provides rental vehicles to missionaries.  Their vision is for every international missionary to have access to affordable and stress-free stateside transportation. Their mission is to provide care and cars to missionaries on home assignment…in a manner worthy of God.

Righteous Rides main hub is in St. Louis, Missouri. They also have 10 other hubs located across the U.S. and 150 vans.

To request a vehicle go online to righteousrides.org or learn more by clicking here.

Uplift Podcast

The following recordings were recently published on uplift.wwntbm.com. You may access the site by entering the username: wwntbm and the password: gospel. We hope they will encourage your heart.

A Servant’s Heart by Pastor David Landers

Dealing with Conflicts by John O’Malley

Make Christ your Master by Jeremy Lockhart

How We May Respond in Time of Difficulty by Pastor Gene Krachenfels