Whitman's celebrating George's 80th Birthday, in 2005. |
This week, we are remembering the life of George
Whitman and keeping Jean and the family in our prayers. We honor this man as one who
exercised stewardship through his God-given responsibilities as a loving
husband, father, and pastor. Pastor
Whitman understood the importance of God’s truth as applied to the heart and
mind of each child in a godly home through loving parents, reinforced in the classroom, and supported by the fabric of the local church and community
which are the life blood of our nation.
George’s own testimony in a Christmas letter, in 2008,
echoes the values that he held dear:
I attended eight grades
in a One Room Public Country School (Honeywell's Corners) R. D. 1, Broadalbin,
NY. (Fulton County) beginning in 1930 when the Pledge of Allegiance was a daily
requirement, listening to the reading of a Psalm, and would you believe it,
with the One teacher having all 24 of us quote “The Lord's Prayer” which he
taught to his disciples. The Bible and
Websters Dictionary had their place on a shelf available for our use, and
believe us‑-Noah Webster was "no dumb bunny". Many of us are still hanging around (by God's
Grace) after, at least, a productive life of serving the Lord and seeking to be
a blessing to others, raising our families to be honorable citizens in their
communities, in our country, and out as well.
Pastor Whitman was also an American patriot and cherished the
opportunities he was given on several occasions to deliver the opening session
prayer for the New York State Legislature in Albany. He wrote:
While praying for
America, we still say "God Bless America" and are very thankful for
the great heritage handed down to us by our founders and leaders. May we never
forget it, or them.
George’s ministry at LBBC was extended through his weekly
radio broadcasts called "Echoes of Faith" on radio station WLFH in
Little Falls, N.Y. and "Moments With Your Bible" on WHAZ in Troy,
N.Y. Fittingly, one of his son’s, Fred, with his wife Rachel, have ministered
faithfully with Baptist Mid Missions using a radio ministry in Italy.
Pastor Whitman’s fifth church was Latham Bible Baptist Church (LBBC), in
Latham, NY, where he established the Latham
Christian Academy in 1979. It was during this pastorate, in 1992, that
our family was privileged to make the acquaintance of George and Jean. That Spring, our son Brad, had been accepted
by Rensselear Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in nearby Troy, NY for graduate
studies and we were assisting him to in locating off-campus housing. We called several churches including LBBC to
enlist their prayers and any leads they might have concerning apartments for
rent.
We received no leads.
But God’s people did pray and the answer came through the willingness of
George and Jean Whitman to open their home to Brad. They treated him as one of their own sons during
the months to follow. They also involved
Brad in the ministry of LBBC and Latham Christian Academy where he was able to
teach a course in computers and assist Pastor Whitman in clearing the parking
lots after each upstate New York snow.
Brad wrote home many times to share accounts of the special informal times
he had spent with Pastor Whitman whose vibrant, unassuming love of Jesus Christ
and His creation was contagious.
George & Jean Whitman, with friends, at LBBC & LCA, 199 |
In 1999, the Whitman’s retired and spent winters at Sleepy Hollow Mobile Estates, Zephyrhills, Florida. There, George served as Chaplain and he and Jean continued to bring a sweet aroma of Christ to the local residents for over another decade. Of course they still migrated north to beloved upstate New York during the warm seasons.
As his obituary in the Oneonta Daily
Star states:
A life dedicated in
service to his Lord and Savior, he counseled many people to know Christ as
their Savior. He will be lovingly
remembered and missed by his beloved family, cherished friends and those whom
he pastored.
Perhaps our son Brad’s recent
tribute to Pastor Whitman is a fitting affirmation of what
it means to be a faithful steward of providential opportunities to love and
serve God, neighbor, community, and creation:
I went to New York as a young man and was taken in (and fed well) by two
of the most wonderful human beings I have ever had the privilege of knowing. I
am forever changed by their influence in my life...and forever challenged by
their example. Thank you, Pastor and Mrs. Whitman.
This week Heaven decided it was time to bring Pastor George P Whitman home (personally, I feel like things were getting a bit boring up there....). Truly, truly....our loss is heaven's gain. Thank you, Pastor, for being a true man of faith. Thank you.
This week Heaven decided it was time to bring Pastor George P Whitman home (personally, I feel like things were getting a bit boring up there....). Truly, truly....our loss is heaven's gain. Thank you, Pastor, for being a true man of faith. Thank you.
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