OC Mag 01-22

New Hope Evangelical Free
Church pastor has been in
Orange City since 1994
Whit also offers the program in Orange
City, and a few of his students
have become pastors. Most are Orange
City and Sioux County residents who
want to learn more about the Bible and
how to get more out of reading it.
Whit was scheduled to go to India
in 2020, but five days before his flight
was to depart, COVID-19 shut everything
down. He said he looks forward
to resuming that part of his career.
their own building.
They rely heavily on the Gospel and
preach from Scripture. It’s similar in
many ways to the Baptist Church.
“We really emphasize on the Gospel,”
he said, noting evangelical means
exactly that. “If you push me against
the wall, and say, ‘What is our church
about,’ what do we try to focus on is,
the Bible as God’s word and Jesus as
God’s savior. We believe other things,
but those are the central things we want
to keep our eyes on.”
In 1994, he accepted the post as
pastor to New Hope Evangelical Free
Church, arriving on Oct. 31. Kids approached
him and Karen as they unpacked,
requesting candy, so he recalls
the date well. Whit said they promised
to have treats next Halloween.
When he started, the church was
meeting at MOC-Floyd Valley High
School. It had 16 members. Five years
later, when it moved into its present
church at 718 Florida Ave., there were
18 members.
“So we had rapid growth those first
five years,” Whit said with a laugh.
Laughter comes easily to him. Whit is
free with his thoughts and emotions,
quick to admit his frailties and doubts.
The church now has around 240
members, Whit said, and up to 500
people sometimes attend Sunday services.
All are welcome, he said.
Whit is deeply interested in other
cultures and languages. He has been
to Haiti 10 or 11 times, he said, and to
India six or seven times, where he helps
train new pastors through a program
called Bible Pathways.
He used to devote two months a
year to it, providing nine workshops to
fledgling pastors over two years.
“In some ways, it’s what I did as a
high school teacher, just how to read
carefully,” he said. “I train them in the
tool and then they can do it with their
people so I’m not needed long-term.
I’m equipping the leaders to do it.”
COVID recovery
Whit said dealing with COVID-19
produced special challenges.
He came down with it in the fall of
2020, but recovered with few problems.
Whit said people close to him have gotten
COVID, and the church has lost
members who had the virus, in addition
to other health concerns.
New Hope Evangelical Free Church
closed for a few weeks in 2020, but
has been open since then. People are
allowed to make their own choices on
masks and vaccines, Whit said, and the
church has no rules on either.
COVID-19 has caused further divides
in an already fractious country, he said.
Whit said he has learned to be still
and listen more.
“A lot of it is just being a spiritual
friend. Caring for people, listening. The
older I’ve gotten, I try to listen and ask
questions,” he said. “Usually people
ask what I think, but I’m less inclined
… if they’re not asking, they probably
don’t want to hear anyhow. Sometimes,
SPRING 2022 | OC MAGAZINE 43