Piney Grove Baptist Church, Ardmore
Limestone Baptist Association
Favorite Bible Verse: Philippians 4:13
Favorite Hymn: “Victory in Jesus”
Hobbies: Camping
Family Status: Married to Tommy for 39 years; two children, Lisa and Lee; two grandchildren
Betty Jo Whitman has served as Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU) director of Piney Grove Baptist Church, Ardmore, for 25 years. She also represents Limestone Baptist Association as a member of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions.
Q: What led you to become active in missions?
A: I heard about missions all my life. We had a pastor that had been a missionary before he came to our church. Then I had a neighbor who was missions-oriented who would take me to church, and after church, we would go and have coffee with the preacher. So, from that young age, I was aware of the need of doing missions work.
Q: Why have you continued to be involved?
A: It was impressed upon me when I was so young that this was the commission that God had given us and that I had to do it because it was what God expected and so people could be reached for the Lord.
Q: What does the ministry demand?
A: It demands knowledge of biblical missions, contemporary missions needs in the world and the needs of your local area. Every opportunity I have, I promote missions to the total church body.
Q: What do you get from the ministry?
A: I get the joy of knowing that people’s lives are touched spiritually, physically, emotionally and mentally through the various avenues of missions that my church participates in.
Q: How do other family members support you?
A: My husband and children are very supportive and always have been. My husband helps me quite a bit with the things we do.
Q: How do you see yourself involved in this in the future?
A: I think that the commission that Christ gave us is a lifetime commission. The ultimate result of all my years of WMU and missions involvement is that my husband and I hope to go on missions trips. We plan to combine our love of camping with some of these trips.
Q: What difference will this ministry make for you in the future?
A: I believe if I had not been involved in missions leadership over the years, I would not have felt the urgent need for missions I now feel. I think I will maintain this sense of urgency because there are so many people who have not heard about the Lord.
Share with others: