Category: From Our President

Everyone should be aware that we are having two conferences this summer. If you are going to be in the States in June please make plans to be with us at Faith Baptist Church in Shelby, North Carolina. We met with Pastor Goodman and the Faith Baptist Church some years ago and they did a fantastic job hosting the meeting. We will have a wonderful time of fellowship. There will be great preaching and very good food. Now what else could an Independent Baptist hope to have?! There have been a number of new missionaries accepted with World Wide. Those on furlough and deputation will have an opportunity to get to know one another. Please pray that each speaker will be used of the Lord to help everyone attending the conference.

The second conference will be held in Germany. The last report I saw said that we had sixty-seven people signed up to be there. We have held a European conference a couple of times before, and those times were a blessing. This time we will have people coming from the United States, Europe, The Middle East, and other places hopefully. This will be an opportunity to get to know each other, enjoy services together, and have the pleasure of sightseeing in Germany. We are so grateful to Keith and Julia Klaus for their hard work preparing for the conference. Brother O’Malley is putting the conference together. Pray that the Lord will bless everyone that will journey to this meeting, and that everyone will be encouraged in the Lord’s work.

I want to thank each of you who are faithfully serving the Lord in regions beyond. Some of you have recently started your ministry with great dreams and expectations. Others of you have labored for many years in the work that God called you into a long time ago. Each of you is a blessing and encouragement to so many of us that watch your progress in the Lord’s work.

God is faithful and is capable of doing greater things than we are able to even dream. By the grace of God let us always press forward into the darkness with the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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.

In June of 1976, I was invited to become an Executive Board Member of World Wide New Testament Baptist Mission. What I knew about missions had very little to do with personal experience. There was no way for me to know what the years to follow would mean to me. The board was, and still is, made up of men that sincerely had a burden to help missionaries get to the mission field. It was the beginning of my understanding of missions, and I was learning from some of the very best. My mentor, Pastor Bill Wingard, began shaping my vision of New Testament missions. Perhaps he did not understand during those days the impact he would have on my life in this amazing journey. Pastor Wingard has not only shaped my understanding of missions, but he is the very heart of WWNTBM. These many years have afforded me so many wonderful years of memories. We certainly have not done everything right, but, once we’ve recognized our mistakes, we have done everything possible to correct them and learn from them.

This year will mark twenty-five years that Brother John O’Malley has served with World Wide. We have great hopes for the future of this work. I have the joy of being in meetings almost every week with some of our missionaries. I have never been more proud of these faithful servants of the Lord. Brother O’Malley is the General Director of WWNTBM. He is doing an awesome job of taking the ministry into the future. Many things have changed through the years. I can remember when it would oftentimes take two to four weeks just to get support to some of our missionaries. Now almost all missionaries can have their support in a day or two. In the past, pretty much everything was done by hand rather than with a computer. However, though many things have changed over the years, many things have not changed. We are still committed to maintaining the policies and practices that we started with in 1971.

I want to say thank you to each missionary, staff member, board member, and supporter for not only making World Wide what it is, but also for propelling it into the future with a determination to change when needed and stand fast on those things that make us who we are. May we all be challenged to be a strong link in the chain that has been forged through the years, and pray with us that the days ahead will be filled with faithful servants through this ministry.

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.

Here we go, working through another year. I hope we all will set things before us to accomplish over the next twelve months. Do you have a plan for reading and studying your Bible this year? Have you targeted some books to read in the weeks to come? Do you need to refresh your prayer list to assist in your daily prayer before the Lord? I’m sure that other things will come to mind that the Lord has put on your heart. We will hit no higher than we aim. Let’s aim to do our best for Christ in all that we do.

Imagine what might happen this year. People who maybe we would never give a second thought to might very well accept the Gospel. There certainly will be people that will trust Christ. There will be baptismal services this year. Among the mission family, there will be new churches established that will take the gospel to the generations beyond us. The possibilities are beyond our ability to think. Think big! Then dream bigger!

Plans are being made for two events that will take place this year. The third Monday in June will be the Family Fellowship Meeting. If you will be in the States that week please put it on your calendar and plan to be with us there. We are also planning to have a conference in Germany beginning August 20. If you are in Europe or the Middle East please make plans to be with us for a few days of wonderful fellowship. We are also hoping that there will be a number of couples coming from the States for those days.

Darleen and I have a very aggressive schedule for 2018. That means that we will again be with many of the churches that support your ministry. Pray with us that we will be used of the Lord in these many services. We desire results that would be to His glory. I pray that the Lord will bless your labor of love.

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.

I pray that you have had a prosperous 2017. This has been a very busy year for us and for that we are grateful to the Lord and His people. This is an appropriate time to reflect on just how good the Lord has been to us, our family, and our ministry. Surely we do that on a regular basis anyway, but there is just something about another year passing that gives us pause to look back while planning ahead. As you consider 2017 did it turn out as you had planned? If it did not, what could you do to make things better in 2018? Give some time to consider your prayer time, Bible study, witnessing, and family time. Even if the past year was all that we wanted it to be, it should only be a step forward to help us grow in the year before us.

Sometimes failure will motivate us to press on to be victorious. Don’t permit discouragement to stop you, but rather commit yourself from this day forward to strive with more conviction to give God your best. Also, success can, at times, make us so satisfied that our dreams for the future are diminished. It could very easily cause us to rest in the past instead of pressing ahead expecting greater things from the Lord. Success could also cause us to think we have reached the apex of God working in and through us without considering that He can reach beyond anything that we can ask or think. May we press on for God’s glory and the good of those we minister to.

It is my sincere prayer that you will have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Enjoy some special time with your family during the holiday season. This time of year would be no more special for us than any other month, but this is the time that we set aside to thank the Father for sending Jesus Christ to die for our sins. He can easily be buried under an avalanche of activity if we are not careful and mindful of the significance of these very special days.

May your ministry in 2018 be as fresh and wonderful for you as it was when you first dreamed of following the Lord into it. The days ahead of you were unknown, but with fear and excitement, you pressed forward. You certainly understand more now than you did then. Ask the Lord to give width and depth to your vision for the future and dream beyond what you can see.

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.

Brother O’Malley and I spend much of our time encouraging church members to give tithes and offerings to the Lord. We emphasize Faith Promise missions in particular. An offering cannot be given to the Lord until the tithe is first given. Malachi chapter three promises that God will open the windows of heaven and bless if we are faithful to give tithes and offerings to the Lord.

I intentionally attempt to never let a day pass without thinking of the hundreds of hard-working people that make my ministry possible. Sometimes I wonder what they would purchase for themselves if they had that money in their bank account. With the exception of my first few years of marriage the Lord’s people have financed my family. The funds that they give me are actually their gift to God.

Your faithfulness to Christ is so commendable that words fail me to express my admiration for you and your ministry. However, I feel the same about those that “stay by the stuff” so that we can press forward with the light of the Gospel of Christ. It is easier for me to be reminded of this multitude of amazing church members because I am with them much of the time. Electricians, nurses, attorneys, mechanics, housewives, doctors and many more support our work. A few can certainly afford what they give, but the vast majority give up something to give willingly to the Lord. In turn, that wonderful gift is passed on to us for the support of our families and ministries.

I want to challenge us to think about them often. Pray that indeed the windows of heaven will be open to them that they might be blessed abundantly for their love for the Lord and His servants.

One question before I go. Do you give tithes and offerings to the Lord? It would be so wrong for us to live and serve on the gifts of others and then be unfaithful in our own giving to the Lord. I’m not referring to paying school bills or ministry expenses. I mean do you tithe and support missions with your money through a local church? God bless you if you do and shame on you if you don’t. You see, the servants of the Lord can rob God also. May it never be said of us.

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.

We hear so many various views about happenings around the world and, especially it seems, in the United States. My guess is that we will have to have more discipline in the future than ever before to keep our minds on the most important thing in our lives. God has given us a specific call to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. We will always have an opinion about what is happening in our world, but that opinion must never keep us from doing our best in the Lord’s work. When the Lord met with His followers just before His return to heaven He gave them a reminder of their task. They were challenged once again to take the way of salvation to the world. The angels appeared to them with the question, “Why stand ye gazing?” It seems their message was that the disciples knew what to do, now they were to go and do it.

I am not attempting to say that we should not be concerned by what is going on in the world today. But I am saying that our primary interest while we are in this world should be to fulfill our responsibility to carry out the Great Commission at every given opportunity. Many things are going on that could very easily anger and frustrate those of us that hold to Bible truth; however, anger and frustration will not advance the Gospel to anyone. Let’s guard our minds and our tongues as we face the ever-increasing changes with which we are confronted. More often than not arguments drive us to extreme positions.

Go back to God’s call in your life. Ponder the days after He initially unfolded His purpose in your life. Remember how exciting it was to imagine that hundreds of faithful Christians would support your family so that you could carry out that dream. If you find yourself off track, get back on track. If you find that you are still on track, determine that you will fix your heart and mind on completing the path that the Lord has set before you.

We are blessed indeed to have the opportunity to spend our earthly existence sharing the Word of God with a world that seems to be “fainting and scattered abroad.” Find those who are searching for an answer and give that answer to them. Give every effort to avoid getting tangled up in the affairs of this world.

May God bless you, your family, and your ministry as you serve Him faithfully.

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.

We are in conversations constantly with others as we travel from church to church. Often the names of missionaries with World Wide will be mentioned in the conversation. It is a blessing to have the opportunity to speak with confidence about you and your ministry. Whether you are on deputation or the field, let’s do our best to maintain a good testimony for our Lord and for each other.

One of our board members, Pastor Fred Daniel, was on his way overseas just short time ago. There were problems with the aircraft so they were delayed for two and half hours. You can imagine the commotion going on among the passengers. They would be late getting to their destination, or even worse, would miss connections to get them to their final destination. Pastor Daniel was patient and kind for the duration. When they were permitted to reboard Pastor and Mrs. Daniel were directed to seats in first class for the transatlantic flight.

Kindness is not always rewarded immediately, but rest assured it will be. It does not matter if we are dealing with pastors, business owners, or officials of government, it is always best to respond in a Christ-like way.

The Lord has favored World Wide by bringing you our way. We are happy to report that the Lord is continuing to bring others to us on a regular basis. It has been my joy recently to sit in on a few missionary interviews, and I continue to be blessed by the knowledge and zeal of young families making their way to the place of God’s choosing for them. It is also encouraging week after week to see churches increasing their faith concerning giving.

It is my sincere desire that Christ will bless you in the coming days with His presence and obvious power. Let’s hold each other up in prayer as we seek to serve Him in our respective ministries.

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.

After the resurrection of our Lord He spent some time with His disciples in John 21. They had been fishing all night and had not caught any fish. From the shore came a voice that the fishermen did not immediately recognize. Over the course of the conversation the Lord would ask three questions.

Question one: Have you any meat? Certainly the inquiry was concerning fish, but it puts me in mind of the Lord and His disciples at Jacob’s well when He was witnessing to the woman that came out to draw water. The disciples told Him that lunch was ready. He replied, “I have meat to eat that ye know not of.” He was not speaking of the food made ready for physical survival. The Lord made it clear that His meat was to do the will of the Father. They had returned to fishing when they should have continued in the Father’s purpose for them.

Question two: Lovest thou me? We can be very busy in religious service without expressing our love for Christ. Remember that the church at Ephesus (Revelation 2) was doing everything right, but they had left their first love. The church was challenged to remember how they started out in the love of Christ. They were to repent of this sin, and if they did not He would remove their candlestick and not walk in their presence anymore.

Question three: What is that to thee? Peter was now curious what would happen in John’s life and ministry. The Lord told Peter to follow Him without concerning himself with fellow servants. Jesus said, “Follow thou Me.” When we are distracted by the works of others it is easy to lose sight of the One that we should be following. Look to Christ for the next step to take. There was a time when it seemed that I could do two or three things and drive at the same time. Now I can simply adjust my sitting position and have to correct my steering to stay out of the ditch. Our eyes must be fixed on the Lord.

To stay in line with the Lord’s purpose requires that we concentrate on Christ and His will. The fish that the disciples were looking for were under the boat, and they were there just as the disciples were going to give up. The answer you need is on the way. Patiently keep your eyes on the Lord. Many of the Lord’s people stand behind you in prayer and financial support while fighting of the attacks of Satan on their lives everyday. God bless you and your faithfulness to Him.

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.

We were in Ocala, Florida, in June for the World Wide Family Fellowship Week. We are so grateful to Pastor Mike West and the Memorial Baptist Church for going all out to make it a wonderful time of fellowship with the missions family. Not enough could possibly be said about the hard work that the church did to provide a comfortable place and amazing meals every day.

Brother O’Malley and the office staff also did a great job planning and directing the meeting. The week is a good opportunity for the office staff and the missionaries to get to know each other better. We understand that when you are on deputation or furlough it is inconvenient to take those days out of your busy schedule, but thank you for making the effort to gather with us the third Monday of June each year.

Every session during the day was a blessing. Each speaker added another layer to the previous speaker. It was so refreshing and challenging to be in each service. Each of us was afforded the opportunity to visit with friends that we rarely see. Pastor Wingard was able to attend the entire conference. We are so grateful for his continued leadership in the mission and pray that the Lord will bless him abundantly in the years to come.

Family Week will be with Pastor Goodman and the Faith Baptist Church in Shelby, North Carolina in 2018. I already look forward to seeing many of you there. If you plan to be home on furlough, please set aside the time to attend the meeting.

I want to thank everyone associated with World Wide for your faithfulness to the Lord, and to the work He has called you to do. We have a great work in our hands. Multitudes of souls are still waiting to hear the Gospel of our Lord, and we must be diligent to deliver that all-important message to them.

May the Lord bless you continually.

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.

In Galatians Paul sets before us the contrast of the man that walks after the flesh and the man that is controlled by the Spirit. In Galatians 5:17, he says that the flesh and the Spirit are in a vicious battle against each other. We know this to be true in daily life. It seems that sometimes life is so easy, and then, right out of nowhere, the battle rages as though there was never a moment of peace.

Read his description of walking in the flesh in verses 19-21. How does the world, the flesh, and the devil make this look so good as we are moving through life? We know that this is a path of destruction, but it is so easy to yield to the temptation. Look at God’s declaration of sin in the last half of Romans 1. Could a picture be more deplorable? And yet men revel in it to the fullest.

On the other hand consider the beauty of a life led by the Spirit of God. In verses 22-26 we see the fruit that is produced when the Holy Spirit is in control of our lives. Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance are wonderful things to cultivate in our daily walk. It seems to be like a garden doesn’t it? The weeds (flesh) can flourish in almost any circumstance. However, the fruit of the Spirit requires constant diligence to make sure that we are yielded to the Lord.

Note this: “…against such there is no law.” Demonstrate God’s love all you want to. There is no law against it. Embrace joy all you want to. There is no law against it. The same could be said of each of the fruits of the Spirit. Absolutely no law against them. There are plenty of laws against the works of the flesh, but not one against the fruit of the Spirit.

Living in the Spirit requires walking in the Spirit. It isn’t enough to talk about how much control the Lord has in our lives. That control will of necessity show up in our daily walk. It will also manifest its presence to others. Oh, that we would cultivate a garden that would fill the world around us with the sweet fragrance of God!

I pray the Lord will bless you abundantly as you seek to serve Him this month. You are making the greatest investment known to man. You are investing yourself in the lives of others to the glory of God. He will bless!

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.