Frank Whitaker has spent nearly 39 years in ministry, 13 of those as pastor of First Baptist Church, Barton. And after his retirement Aug. 11, he plans to serve in interim positions and in Guatemala on missions trips.
Whitaker, who surrendered to God’s call to ministry in 1975, attended the University of North Alabama in Florence and later earned his master’s degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.
He served as pastor of Gilliam Springs Baptist Church, Arab, for 10 years. During that time he also served on the board of directors for The Alabama Baptist. He later served as pastor of First Baptist Church, Lake Wales, Fla., and then First, Barton.
Whitaker was moderator of Marshall Baptist Association, served on the board of regents for the University of Mobile and was an Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions representative for Colbert-Lauderdale Baptist Association.
Whitaker is active in Global Missions of Mercy (GMM), a 501(c)3 ministry started by his friend, William Carson. GMM works in Chiquimula, Guatemala, to help the “poorest of the poor” through a feeding center, a Christian school and a missions center for men and women’s ministries.
During his years in ministry, Whitaker said he “learned that [a pastor’s] job is to be faithful in our service to God.”
“We don’t take His place,” he said, “We just serve Him and seek to honor Him.”
Whitaker and his wife, Carol, said they look forward to spending time in Arab after retirement with their two children and three grandchildren.
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