Since new families are coming with World Wide, it is necessary to cover things about which all of us need to be reminded. It is very obvious that we are an Independent Baptist agency, and we make that abundantly clear in every stage of the application process. As time goes on the same questions always seem to reappear. One of those questions is, “Where can we seek support?”
The Lord graciously saved me when I was thirteen years old. I did not even know there was such a thing as an Independent Baptist Church. It happens that I was saved in a Southern Baptist Church. I will forever be grateful for the pastor who preached the gospel to me as I grew up in the church. Darleen and I married in 1969. We moved to Tallahassee and eventually joined Maranatha Baptist Church. It was my introduction to Independent Baptists. Pastor George Clark opened a whole new world for me as week after week he preached the Bible. There was no way to know that in time the Lord would call me to preach, pastor, and then go into missions. When I started deputation the church I was saved in took me on for support. I did not ask them to, but because they loved us, they wanted to participate. Many of these people are relatives. We love and appreciate each of them, but we could not with good conscience accept their support. We would be laboring with an Independent agency, and working to see Independent Baptist Churches planted.
This is all made clear in the application process. We do not accept support from denominational churches. We are not at war with any of them. World Wide seeks support from Independent Baptist Churches and Bible Churches that are Baptist in doctrine. There are no exceptions. In our database, you might come across a church that does not fit these limits. If you do, please make the office aware of that. There have been occasions when one was added without our being aware of their position.
In every way, we want to be kind, but we also want to maintain the course set for us from the beginning. If for any reason you cannot abide by this it would be best for you to make that known and establish a new direction for your ministry. Trust me, I do understand the limitations are not always easy to work with, but we are convinced this is right. Our steadfast desire to keep the direction that we started with draws fire from the right and the left. However, we are not the ones that have changed. It is our sincere desire to continue as we started.
In His Service,
Danny A. Whetstone
If this article has been an encouragement to you, you can email Bro. Whetstone here to let him know.