OC Mag 01-22

three sons and a daughter.
Whit said he makes mistakes and
has regrets, as do his family members.
But they are aware of their frailties and
errors, and try to learn from them and
grow. God has been with them as they
go through their struggles.
I don’t know the answers. I just help
people ask questions and say, ‘I wonder
what the Bible would say about that?
How can we seek that out?’
And then God will step in and provide
direction. So, hopefully, it’s God
shepherding people, not me.”
Rev. Mark Haverdink, pastor of
congregational life at First Reformed
Church, has known Whit for 20 years.
Haverdink has been at First Reformed,
the church where he was baptized and
grew up, since 2011. He has high praise
for Whit.
“He’s a wonderful man, very biblically
centered, very Gospel centered,”
Haverdink said.
He said Whit strongly believes God’s
grace is responsible for all good things,
since “we are all sinners.”
He said Whit honors God in all
things and sets a great example in his
church and the community.
Whit appreciates the support and
friendship he has with other local pastors.
They are “spiritual friends” and
meet on a regular basis to talk, share
and pray together.
John Swart, an elder on New Hope’s
10-member church board, has known
of Whit for 25 years and been a part of
the congregation for 15 years.
“Jeff is a very gifted teacher,” Swart
said. “But more than that, he is a very
humble person who is a very good listener.”
‘Front-row seat’
Whit said there have been some very
special times in his career, including
going to the bedside of a woman who
was near death more than 20 years ago.
Her brain activity had mostly ceased,
and it was a matter of time before she
passed away. She was just 42.
As he and his wife walked toward
her room to pray with her, they heard
her teenage son singing a hymn to his
mother as tears streamed down his
face. Her family had found comfort in
the Lord even as they walked through
the shadows of the valley of death.
“And it was just beautiful, and obviously
sad,” Whit said.
Whit also knows the pain of losing
someone precious to him. His 27-yearold
son died a few years ago. It was a
painful time for their family, but they
felt God was with them during that difficult
period.
“In the midst of that pain, God has
been real and worth trusting,” he said.
“Until Christ comes back, it’s going to
be hard for us at times. The church
has been very willing to let us be real
people. We’re very thankful for that.”
He and his wife had four children,
Pastor Jeff’s message
Whit loves to travel in his free time
and renew ties with old friends while
meeting new ones. He has an interest
in other cultures and languages.
He can read Old Testament passages
in Hebrew and Koine Greek, an ancient
language, studied French for two years
in college, can speak and read some
Creole, a form of French used in Haiti,
and has a modest grasp of Spanish.
Whit also enjoys time in the outdoors
and exercising. He’s a Tennessee
Titans fans, and shares his interest in
the NFL with his sons.
He also finds time to renew himself
and recharge his batteries by spending
time at home reading the Bible, praying
and resting. It’s vital for a pastor to
do that, he said, and he appreciates the
fact that his church allows him to do so.
Whit plans to continue to work at his
current pace for five or six years, and
then might accept a reduced role. That
will sort itself out, he said.
“I don’t know that I can determine
that,” Whit said.
There have been times he wondered
if the Lord was calling him to other
jobs, other communities. But after talking
with his wife and church members,
he has chosen to remain at New Hope
“They’re not looking for the perfect
pastor,” Whit said with appreciation,
“because they don’t have him.”
For now, he focuses on helping people
through their own journey.
44 OC MAGAZINE | SPRING 2022