We would like to recognize several ministry milestones that are being reached during the year 2018. We are grateful for these individuals who continue to serve faithfully.
Ministry Milestones 2018
The Homegoing of Norman Johnston
In Memory of Norman Johnston
March 23, 1950-May 14, 2018
Norman Lee Johnston entered into the joy of his Lord on Monday, May 14th. He passed away of a heart attack while at home, the day before he was scheduled to travel to share the Gospel in remote unreached mountain villages of Madagascar.
“Pastor J,” as he was affectionately known, was born in Ohio on March 23, 1950, and attended Bob Jones University. He and his wife Joy served for many years as missionaries to Korea, until the Lord closed the door for them to remain in that country. They moved next to Vancouver, where he pastored a Korean congregation. He later pastored in Pennsylvania. In 2002, he joined the faculty of Ambassador Baptist College, where he was the chairman of the missions department.
Bro. Johnston had a burden and passion for reaching the lost, and for encouraging young people in their service for the Lord. He was known for his contagious smile, and his “can do” approach to life. He was a friend and mentor to hundreds of students and loved nothing more than to play matchmaker and see new Christian families established. He could always be counted on to share an encouraging word or to challenge an individual to set aside excuses and simply do the next thing to serve God and spread the Gospel.
In 2005 during a Mission Prayer Band meeting, Bro. Johnston presented the idea of placing the Bible and other Christian resources on the internet in multiple languages. The Alethia Project was born out of this meeting. It continues as a student-led organization at ABC and is a tribute to his memory.
Bro. Johnston came to World Wide as an associate missionary in 2009 while assisting a Korean church, and also planting a multi-language church in Charlotte, NC. Today, Every Nation Baptist Church continues to reach many ethnicities in Charlotte’s inner city area.
Funeral services were held at Ambassador Baptist College on May 18th. A recording of the memorial service is available here.
Bro. Johnston was well known for sharing quotes and poems. Some of his favorites include:
I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And what I can do, I ought to do, and by the grace of God, I will do.
-Edward Everett Hale
All the people,
all the towns,
every need as it is found,
all the people, every one,
all my heart until it is done.
Go forth serving God, loving others, and winning souls.
We really have no excuse for not trying to reach this world with the Gospel.
As Christians our partings are never good-byes, they are only “see you later.”
In addition to his wife Joy, he is survived by four children: Ahna Johnston, Rebecca (and husband Robert) Harr, Seth Johnston, and Benjamin Johnston. Please be in prayer for the family, and especially for Mrs. Joy. 
From the Memo Board: June 2018
Summer Dates to Know
June 18-21 – Family Fellowship Week in Shelby, NC.
July 1 – May financial reports will be due.
July 4 – The Office will be closed in celebration of Independence Day.
July 30 – Adjusted pay date for those who normally receive funds on the 29th.
August 1 – June financial reports will be due.
August 13 – Please contact us by this date if you will need funds in your account before August 31st.
August 20-24 – Encouragement Conference in Germany.
August 31 – Adjusted pay date for those who normally receive funds on the 29th.
September 1 – July financial reports will be due.
September 3 – The Office will be closed in celebration of Labor Day.
New Babies
Amadeo Dante Ortiz was born on May 11th. He was 21 inches long and weighed 8 pounds and 9 ounces. Amadeo is the son of Rolando and Hannah Ortiz, who serve in Mexico, and the grandson of our board member, Fred Jr. and Beth Daniel. Amadeo joins two older sisters, Azelia and Viana.
Priscilla Marjorie Rose was born on May 24th. She was 20 inches long and weighed 8 pounds and 13 ounces. Priscilla is the daughter of Matthew and Rebecca Rose, who are on deputation to go to Kenya. Priscilla joins four older sisters, Deborah (6), Hannah (5), Esther (4), and Lydia (2).
Kezia Leigh Knickerbocker was born on May 26th. She was 21.5 inches long and weighed 6 pounds and 2 ounces. Kezia is the daughter of Stephen and Julie Knickerbocker, who serve in Burkina Faso. She joins her sister Alina, who is almost 2.
New Missionary
We rejoice that the Lord continues to bring new missionaries to join our growing World Wide family! Kevin and Hannah Taylor are missionaries to Mexico. They are sent out of the Calvary Baptist Church of Statesville, NC, with Pastor Chris Haizlip. The Taylors have served in pastoral and evangelistic ministries in IL and NC. Most recently, they have been assisting a Hispanic church whose pastor needed to return to Mexico for a time. Their goal is to work with an established ministry in Puebla, Mexico, training church members in discipleship and family counseling. Eventually, they would like to assist other churches throughout Mexico in developing strong family-centered counseling ministries. The Taylors have three daughters: Tirza (6), Hadassah (4), and Aletheia (2). Pray for them as they travel on deputation.
Student Interns
Kaitlyn Whitney and Tyler Scott spent a week with us in May, completing a portion of their internship requirements for Ambassador Baptist College. One of the ministries our staff enjoys being a part of is training students for whatever the Lord has called them to do, whether on the mission field or in a ministry office. Please pray for these ladies as they serve the Lord this summer, and return to finish their education at ABC this fall.
Summer Support
Bank holidays and the timing of weekends this summer in relation to when we close the books may affect the days you receive your support. Please make a note of the adjusted pay dates for July and August listed above, and contact us in advance if you have special needs for early deposits during those months.
Most of our staff will be traveling to Germany for the Encouragement Conference in August. We are trying to plan ahead to reduce interruptions in our service to you during this time. Please message us via Signal by August 13 if you would like funds in your accounts before August 31. Contacting us by August 13 will enable us to schedule your funds before we leave. Upon our return, we will need time to handle the mail that will arrive during our absence. Therefore, final August support distributions will be made on August 31.
Uplift Podcasts
The following recordings were recently published on Uplift.com. You may access the site by entering the username: wwntbm and the password: gospel. These recordings for our missions family contain the Uplift calls in their entirety, including prayer requests and challenges to our missionaries. We hope they will encourage your heart.
Recent Episodes
Family Ministry On The Road by Pastor Frank Camp
Dangers of Spiritual Indifference by Pastor Freeman Weems
It’s Not Over Until God Says It’s Over by Pastor Mike Renfrow
Helpful Resources Recently Shared on Uplift:
The Plague of Plagues by Ralph Venning
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
What Do I Know About My God by Mardi Collier
From Our President: June 2018
Just because you read it doesn’t make it so! I was recently reminded of this in a Facebook post. Someone assumed something to be so because a video was posted. The truth was that there was no truth to the message. The message was being sent to and fro as though it was absolutely true and was, therefore, spreading like wildfire across the internet.
Sadly, this is not restricted to the world. We hear or read something and assume that it’s true because it is coming from what we believe to be a reliable source. But where did they get it? Many things that we hear or read are not worthy to be repeated to begin with, but if we are going to repeat it we should check it out first. Lives have been ruined with a rumor that had no basis in truth. Taking the time to memorize I Corinthians 13 would not be a waste of time for any of us.
Charity suffereth long, and is kind;
charity envieth not;
charity vaunteth not itself,
is not puffed up,
Doth not behave itself unseemly,
seeketh not her own,
is not easily provoked,
thinketh no evil;
Rejoiceth not in iniquity,
but rejoiceth in the truth;
Beareth all things,
believeth all things,
hopeth all things,
endureth all things.
Charity never faileth:
There are few things in this life that never fail. If we find one we should cling to it with all of our heart. It is a sad thing to see a child of God become an investigative reporter spending hours every day trolling the internet looking for something to condemn. We can find something better to invest our lives in. Being a busybody is not glorified in Scripture.
Very soon we will meet at Faith Baptist Church in Shelby, North Carolina for Family Fellowship Week, and then in August, a good number of us will be meeting in Germany for a few days together. I hope all of you in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East will be able to join us for that conference.
May the Lord bless you beyond your dreams as you serve Him faithfully this month.
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.
Prayer & Dates: June 2018
June Prayer/Praises and Special Dates
Click the link above to download a PDF of prayer requests and praises as well as the birthdays and anniversaries for June. Note: You will need to login 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.
2018 Graduates
Several young people in our missions family are graduating this spring. Please be in prayer for them as they make transitions in their lives and seek the Lord’s will concerning future plans.
Beryl David has completed her 12th year of school and is seeking the Lord’s will regarding future studies. Beryl is the daughter of Charles and Abigail David, who serve in India.
Colton Lee will graduate from Ambassador Baptist College with a Bachelor of Biblical Studies in Evangelism degree. He will travel on a short-term trip to Madagascar in May, and then begin work as the staff evangelist for Camp Joy in Wisconsin.
Deborah Howell will graduate from high school with the Abeka Homeschool graduates at Pensacola Christian Academy. She will enroll at Pensacola Christian College this fall to study Computer Science and Software Engineering. Deborah is the daughter of Lewis and Kim Howell, who minister in New Zealand.
Garrett Conley will graduate from Ambassador Baptist College with both a Graduate of Theology and a Bachelor of Biblical Studies in English Bible Studies degree. He will travel on deputation this summer and will leave for Ireland later this fall.
Hannah Quinlan will graduate from high school this spring. She will work for a year while she saves money to attend Pensacola Christian College, where she plans to study nursing. Hannah is the daughter of Sean and Tammy Quinlan, who minister in Guam.
John Mark Zimmer will graduate from Bob Jones Academy this spring. He plans to study Computer Science at Bob Jones University this fall. John Mark is the son of Mark and Diane Zimmer, who serve in Yap.
Stephen Grove will graduate from Bob Jones University in May with a degree in International Studies. He will be taking a missions trip to Germany this spring. Please pray that the Lord will use this trip to confirm His plans for the future. Stephen is the son of Michael and Nancy Grove, who serve in New Zealand.
Stuart Renfrow will be graduating from high school this spring. He plans to enroll in the diesel mechanic program at Johnston Community College this fall. Stuart is the son of Mike and Priscilla Renfrow. Bro. Renfrow pastors the Trinity Baptist Church in Wilson, NC, and serves on our Board of Reference.
Whitney Bourdess has finished high school. His family will travel to SC for a graduation ceremony on May 19, then he will return to serve with his parents until the Lord gives other direction for the future. Whitney is the son of Leslie and Amy Bourdess, who minister in Alaska.
Featured Article: God, Deal More In Me Than Through Me!
By Dr. Eric Franks
I cannot speak to others, unless God speaks to me.
I cannot teach others, unless I myself am taught of God.
I cannot lead others into holiness, until holiness becomes me.
I cannot make others love the Word, until His Word is my daily bread.
O God, deal more in me than through me!
I cannot love others until I realize God’s love to me.
I cannot make others love their enemies, until enmity ceases in me.
I cannot make others to forgive until a vessel of mercy I first trust.
I cannot make others reverent with Christ, until the alabaster has broken on me.
O God, deal more in me than through me!
I cannot make others to sacrifice, until I myself become a sacrifice.
I cannot help those that suffer until I myself suffer for Christ.
I cannot ask others to give, until with me is left nothing more to give.
I cannot make others unselfish, until I myself am poured out like Christ.
O God, deal more in me than through me!
I cannot make other soldiers of Christ until scars of battle I reflect.
I cannot make others give up their treasures, until my only treasure is Christ.
I cannot make others cease from self, until I cease from my own conceit.
I cannot make others labour, until I am faint yet pursuing for Christ.
O God, deal more in me than through me!
I cannot make others meek, until my own self-will I desert.
I cannot make others thankful, until my own unworthiness I confess.
I cannot make others humble, until to God’s sovereignty I first submit.
I cannot induce true values in others, until eternal values I possess.
O God, deal more in me than through me!
I cannot make others think Scripture-sense until I cease from my own common sense.
I cannot make others spiritual, until in me, fruits of the Spirit ripen.
I cannot make others trustworthy, until my own suspicions I forsake.
I cannot make others sing with praise, until I myself sing out with broken heart.
O God, deal more in me than through me!
I cannot break others, until I myself am broken by God.
I cannot help shipwrecked ones, until I myself on Christ am shipwrecked.
I cannot get others to repent until I myself have changed my mind.
I cannot make others dead to the world, until I myself am from this world freed.
O God, deal more in me than through me!
I cannot make others Christ-like unless I myself am like Christ.
I cannot make others close to Christ until my only love is Christ.
I cannot make others conscious of Christ until I myself consciously reflect Christ.
I cannot make others devoted to Christ until my passion is only Christ.
O God, deal more in me than through me!
Prayer & Dates: May 2018
May Prayer/Praises and Special Dates
Click the link above to download a PDF of prayer requests and praises as well as the birthdays and anniversaries for May. Note: You will need to login 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.
From Our President: May 2018
In recent days, I have been encouraged to see teenagers who are showing a real interest in the Lord’s work. This is a good thing even if the Lord does not call them to a full-time ministry. Perhaps they will maintain that interest as they assume the responsibilities in their local church.
Let’s be reminded that these teens are among those that read our prayer letters when they are posted. If you haven’t been writing with this in mind, please consider injecting something from time to time that exposes your interest in seeing others serving in your part of the world. Around the world, there are great needs, and there is no one more qualified to share those needs than you. Thank you for being a wonderful example for others to learn from in the service of the King.
We are expecting a great meeting with Pastor Goodman and the Faith Baptist Church in Shelby, North Carolina, next month. Family Fellowship Week is my favorite meeting to go to every year. Some of you have not been to the meeting for a number of years. Please look ahead and make plans to get together with us in the not-to-distant future. Brother O’Malley always puts together a theme and sessions that speak to the heart. It is always the third Monday of June and goes through Thursday night. There are sessions in the morning, time off in the afternoon, and a service in the evening. By the way, we eat too!
Pray for those who are preparing to speak at Family Week. We want the morning sessions and the night services to be an encouragement to continue faithfully in the work of our Saviour.
Thank you again for another month of faithful service to the Lord. We pray that the Lord will bless you abundantly with fruit that will remain. If there is anything that we can do to help you, your ministry, or your family please do not hesitate to bring it to our attention.
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.
From the Memo Board: May 2018
Dates to Know
May 28 – The Office will be closed in celebration of Memorial Day.
May 30 – Adjusted pay date for those who normally receive funds on the 29th.
June 1 – April financial reports will be due.
June 18-21 – Family Fellowship Week in Shelby, NC.
July 1 – May financial reports will be due.
July 4 – The Office will be closed in celebration of Independence Day.
July 30 – Adjusted pay date for those who normally receive funds on the 29th.
August 1 – June financial reports will be due.
August 13 – Please contact us by this date if you will need funds in your account before August 31st.
August 20-24 – Encouragement Conference in Germany.
August 31 – Adjusted pay date for those who normally receive funds on the 29th.
September 1 – July financial reports will be due.
September 3 – The Office will be closed in celebration of Labor Day.
Summer Support
Bank holidays and the timing of weekends this summer in relation to when we close the books may affect the days you receive your support. Please make a note of the adjusted pay dates for May, July, and August listed above, and contact us in advance if you have special needs for early deposits during those months.
Most of our staff will be traveling to Germany for the Encouragement Conference in August. We are trying to plan ahead to reduce interruptions in our service to you during this time. Please message us via Signal by August 13 if you would like funds in your accounts before August 31. Contacting us by August 13 will enable us to schedule your funds before we leave. Upon our return, we will need time to handle the mail that will arrive during our absence. Therefore, final August support distributions will be made on August 31.
Family Fellowship Week
This year’s Family Week will be hosted by Pastor Barry Goodman and the Faith Baptist Church in Shelby, North Carolina. Family Week will begin with registration at 4:30 p.m. Monday evening, followed by a dinner in the fellowship building of the church at 5:30 p.m. The evening service will immediately follow. Guests will be housed at the American Inn in Boiling Springs, which is approximately 15 minutes from the church.
Each missionary is invited to bring their ministry display to set up in the gymnasium area. Church members, visitors, and other missionaries will have time to visit the displays throughout the week. Children’s activities for the week will include skating, laser tag, bumper cars, mini golf, a playland, and a ropes course. Please watch your email for more details as the week approaches.
New Missionary
Garrett Conley is the newest missionary to join the World Wide family. He is a member of the Maranatha Baptist Church in Shelby, NC, with Pastor Jim Davidson. Brother Conley will graduate from Ambassador Baptist College this spring. He has traveled for three years with Neighborhood Bible Time, including spending two summers in Ireland. He plans to go to Ireland later this year, where he will complete a one-year internship with Pastor Bob Zemeski while he seeks the Lord’s will for future ministry. Pray for him as he travels on deputation this summer.
New Baby
Grace Elizabeth Fry was born on April 24th. She was 20 inches long and weighed 7 pounds and 4 ounces. Grace is the first child of Nathan and Hannah Fry. The Frys have a ministry called Lens of the Harvest, through which they assist missionaries and churches with photography and presentation needs.
Uplift Meetings
Have you joined us for one of our Uplift meetings? We host a video conference call every Friday morning at 11:15 a.m. Eastern Time. In addition, we host bi-monthly meetings that alternate between Tuesday mornings and Tuesday evenings to give those in other time zones an opportunity to participate.
Each meeting features a time of prayer for those in our missions family. Most feature a board member or other guest who shares devotional thoughts to challenge and encourage you. Staff members are available to give announcements and answer office-related questions. Sessions are recorded and published in a podcast for those unable to attend the live meetings. Once a month we also have unrecorded meetings to provide a forum where you can openly discuss ministry needs with John O’Malley and Jeremy Lockhart.
Upcoming Tuesday meeting times will be as follows. All times listed are Eastern Time.
- Tuesday, May 8 at 9:00 a.m.
- Tuesday, May 22 at 9:00 p.m.
- Tuesday, June 12 at 9:00 a.m.
- Tuesday, June 26 at 9:00 p.m.
If you have not yet joined, we encourage you to try us out.