Month: May 2026

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The Power of Church Discipline: A Devotional Excerpt from Unshaken

Faith is not just about what we believe—it’s about how we live. As you work through these devotionals, my prayer is that you will grow stronger, stand firmer, and live bolder for Christ. No matter what comes, you can remain unshaken because your foundation is in Him. – John O’Malley

Below is an excerpt from Bro. John O’Malley’s book, Unshaken: Strengthening Your Faith. If you would like to read the book in its entirety, please click here.

1 Corinthians 5:4-7

“In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.”

Learn About It

Paul instructs the Corinthian church on the necessity of church discipline. The church was tolerating unrepentant sin in their midst instead of addressing it. Paul rebukes them for being proud rather than sorrowful over this sin.

He tells them to “deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh.” This means removing the unrepentant person from church fellowship so they can experience the consequences of their sin. The goal is not punishment, but restoration—that the person might turn back to Christ and be saved in the end.

Paul uses leaven (yeast) as a metaphor for sin. Just as a little yeast spreads through an entire lump of dough, sin left unchecked will spread and corrupt the entire church. His command is clear: “Purge out therefore the old leaven”—remove the influence of sin so that the church remains pure.

Apply It to Me

Church discipline is often misunderstood or neglected today. Some believe confronting sin is harsh, while others ignore sin to avoid conflict. But biblical discipline is about love and restoration, not judgment.

• Do I tolerate sin in my own life that I should confess and forsake?
• Do I encourage holiness in my church, or do I ignore sin to keep peace?
• Am I willing to lovingly hold others accountable, or do I stay silent out of fear?

Paul’s warning reminds us that sin spreads if it is not dealt with. The goal of church discipline is to protect the body of Christ and bring the sinner to repentance.

Talk to God About It

Lord, help me to take holiness seriously in my own life and in my church. Give me wisdom to address sin with truth and love, seeking restoration rather than condemnation. Help me to be accountable and to encourage others to walk in righteousness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Act on It

Examine your heart for any unconfessed sin that may be affecting your walk with Christ. Repent and take a step toward accountability. If you see a fellow believer struggling, pray for them and encourage them to seek restoration.

John O’Malley

If this article has been an encouragement to you, you can email Bro. O’Malley to let him know.

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From the Memo Board: May 2026

Important Dates to Know

May 1 – March Financial Reports will be due for US Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.
May 1 – April Financial Reports will be due for Non-Resident Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.
May 25 – The Office will be closed in celebration of Memorial Day.
June 1 – April Financial Reports will be due for US Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.
June 1 – May Financial Reports will be due for Non-Resident Missionaries. This includes FNPO Reports for those with Foreign Non-Profit Organizations.
April 12-15, 2027 – Family Fellowship Week in Sophia, NC.

Maternity Leave

Mrs. Bekah Tolley, our Office Assistant, is currently on maternity leave following the arrival of her new baby girl, Ellie. Please pray for Bekah, her husband Brandon, and their sons Davey and Andy as they welcome and adjust to this new addition to their family. A photo of Ellie can be found in the  “New Babies!” section.

 

 

Please continue submitting prayer letters to [email protected]. Prayer letters will be processed as usual. During Bekah’s maternity leave, Makenzie Case (Staff Support) will be covering prayer letters.

The Edge Christian Camp and Edge2Go International

For the last several years, we have been blessed to have Carey Charles and the team from The Edge Christian Camp attend Family Week and provide an exceptional program for our young people during the week.

Edge2Go is a ministry of The Edge Christian Camp that brings camp to Independent Baptist church locations. The Edge staff offers many aspects of summer camp in a one-day, day camp format, including activities, chapel service, evening service, God & I time booklets, games, and competitions. They have recently been burdened to take this ministry internationally by partnering with missionaries. Their desire is to work with WWNTBM missionaries to bring camp to your mission field. They have partnered with Tim and Stephanie Germano, our missionaries to the Dominican Republic, and David and Millie Preston, our missionaries to Utah.

If you are interested, or if you know local churches in the US who could utilize their services, please contact them through their website at theedge.camp.

Family Fellowship Week 2027

Now is the time to begin planning to attend Family Fellowship Week 2027! The conference will be held at the Caraway Conference Center near Asheboro, NC, from April 12-15, 2027. The week begins on Monday afternoon and ends with Thursday evening service. Lodging for Thursday evening and breakfast on Friday morning are provided. When interviewed, missionaries agree to attend Family Week for two years while on deputation and once every four years thereafter. Please plan to attend the entire week. This is an important time to gather for fellowship, encouragement, and reminders of our heritage.

Principles and Practices

Each year at Family Fellowship Week, Bro. Danny Whetstone teaches our Principles and Practices. These values have guided World Wide New Testament Baptist Missions since 1971, and they will continue to do so.

Below is the outline of our Principles and Practices. Click here to listen to Pastor Wingard teach our Principles and Practices. This audio is from the Family Fellowship Week of 2014.

I. The Purpose of this Mission Agency is to Honor Our Lord Jesus Christ in Carrying Out the Great Commission.
A. We Assist Churches in Getting Their Missionaries to the Field.
B. We Assist Missionaries in . . .
1. Getting to the Field.
2. Staying on the Field.
3. Returning to the Field.
II. We Are Servants of Our Lord Jesus Christ and His Local Churches.
A. We Do Not Maintain Authority to Ordain.
B. We Do Not Maintain Authority to Commission.
C. We Do Not Maintain Authority to Discipline.
D. We Must Maintain Biblical Standards.
E. We Must Maintain Working Relationships.
1. Mission Agency with Missionaries
2. Missionaries with Missionaries
III. All of Us Who Are Supported Through the Agency Are . . .
A. Accountable for the Funds.
B. Fellow-Helpers in Financing the Mission Office.
IV. Concerning Relationships
A. Agency to Missionaries
B. To Our Families
C. Missionaries to Agency
V. Concerning Policy
A. Return Passage
B. Insurance
C. Bible Translations
VI. Concerning Our Attitude
A. Towards Other Missionaries
B. Towards the Mission Agency
C. Towards Preparation
D. Towards Separation
E. Towards the King James Version

The Office Work

During Family Fellowship Week, the amount of work the office accomplishes was discussed in the sessions. We thought you may enjoy reading some statistics!

In 2025, the office processed over 7.3 Million dollars. The office handled over 48,000 transactions in processing funds, meaning the amount of transactions it took to distribute funds to the designated missionaries on each donation. This does not include the bank transactions for missionaries, paperwork completed, emails to missionaries and churches, or phone calls sent or received. We serve over 11,000 donors (including churches, individuals, and businesses) and send out an average of 2,000 receipts for donations each month.

The Lord has blessed our office to serve you. During our weekly staff meetings, we review our purpose statement: “We serve God’s Great Commission Partners so they can focus on giving and going into all the world.” The Great Commission Partners are the Missionaries, Sending Pastors and Churches, and Donors. Without each of our partners, the office would have no purpose. It is our privilege to serve the Lord with you.

New Babies!

Rosanna Barbara Risinger was born on April 10, 2026. She is the third child of Matthew and Anna Risinger, and joins siblings Abraham (2) and Janica (1). The Risingers are missionaries to Cameroon.

 

 

 

Eleanor (Ellie) Dorothy Tolley was born on April 30, 2026. Ellie is the daughter of our Office Assistant, Rebekah Tolley, and her husband, Brandon. She joins older brothers Davey (4) and Andy (2).

New Executive Board Members!

Thomas Engle has been appointed to the Executive Board. Bro. Engle has served on our Board of Reference since 2024. He has pastored Victory Baptist Church in Darlington, SC, since 2023. Prior to pastoring, he served as an evangelist for 12 years. He and his wife Sarah have three children: TJ, Elise, and Vance.

 

Scott L’Heureux has been appointed to the Executive Board. He has served as the pastor of Freedom Baptist Church in Greenville, SC, since 2000. He and his wife, Rebecca, have four adult children, two grandchildren, and are expecting another grandchild in July.

Prayer Requests and Special Days

Click here to download a PDF of prayer requests and praises, as well as the birthdays and anniversaries for this month.

Note: You will need to log in to SecureCloud in order to view this document. Once you have logged in, click on Files, Shared, then Headquarter Happenings, then scroll to the month you would like to view. This step protects people with WWNTBM in restricted access fields.