Pastor Lou Whiting
I was born at the District of Columbia Hospital in Washington, D.C. on January 10, 1958. I was the third of seven children born to my parents David and Ruby Whiting. My siblings in the order of their birth are: Dorothy, David Jr., myself, Craigory, Stefon, Turner and Darron. I have no memory of my father, for he walked out on my mother when I was around the age of four. As far back as I can remember, my mother was not able to work so she supported the family through public assistance or welfare programs. The one thing my mother instilled in all of us is the willingness and desire to fight for what you believe in and never quit. I started school when I was five years old. I attended Petworth Elementary School in N.W. Washington, D.C. from kindergarten through the first grade. My mother moved the family to East Capital Dwellings (a public housing project) in 1965. There I enrolled in Charles R. Drew Elementary School. I attended Charles R. Drew from the second through the sixth grade. There I became a member of the Glee Club, safety patrol and the school band. I won awards for perfect attendance and the honor roll. Then I attended W. Bruce Evans Junior High School. I became involved in sports for the first time at the age of twelve. I made the boys basketball team and I never even played the game of basketball before that time. I was the fifteenth man on a fifteen-member squad. Now that I look back on that particular moment, maybe that was God’s first miracle in my life. In Junior High School I won several awards for perfect attendance and honor roll. During my ninth grade year I finished second in voting with a 3.9 GPA for the Scholar Athlete of the Year Award. I continued my academic and athletic career at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in N.W. Washington, D.C. I graduated from high school in 1977 in the top ten percent of the senior class with a 3.8 GPA. I continued my academic and athletic career by attending the Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Law Enforcement Administration with a minor in Accounting in June of 1983.
Life as I knew it changed in January of 1984. That’s when I asked Jesus Christ to come into my heart. I went from being the stereotypical young-Black, “grab your purse”, “cross to the other side of the street”, “keep your daughter away from”, inner–city youth to a Spirit-filled, scripture quoting,
born again believer in Jesus Christ. Well, I couldn’t quote any scriptures but I tried. What a transformation that was! From that day in January of 1984
until now I have never looked back or even regretted the choice that I made. If I could do it all over again I would do it twenty years sooner.
During that same month in January of 1984, I started a new job and met Sheila my wife to be. It was her life and walk that God used to expose me to true religion. In my spirit I knew she would be the woman with whom I would spend the rest of my life. This insight occurred even before we began dating and fell in love! We dated for a year and were married on February 15, 1985. Over thirty years, three children and six grand children later, I’m still madly in love with my wife. The names of our three children in order of their births are Sean, Nastacia and Jazmine. The names of our six grand children are Joseph, Maximus, Melani, Josiah, Cayden and Joshua. My wife was born on February 13, 1957, in Fredericksburg, Va., but raised in the city of Alexandria by her parents Elwood and Ethel Stubblefield. My wife matriculated through the Alexandria City public school system and graduated senior class president of T.C. Williams High School in 1975. She attended the American University in Washington, D.C. and graduated in 1980 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in the Performing Arts. She grew up in a dysfunctional family atmosphere, as her father was an abusive alcoholic. She was introduced to Jesus Christ in 1981 and became a born again, Spirit - filled believer. She is truly my best friend. I would add that after sixteen years, we are finally on the finer side of life. I can say this because when you are walking in God’s perfect will for your life, things just fall right into place. Glory to God!
In 1986, my family and I joined a local ministry under the Assemblies of God Denomination called the National Church of God, pastored at that time by Dr. T. L. Lowery. I decided to remain there as a member of this church until God called me out into his vineyard to lay a foundation for a new ministry. I knew I was called as a gift to the body of Christ, I just didn’t know in what capacity or level. I might add that while under the ministry of Dr. T. L. Lowery I began to grow and mature spiritually by leaps and bounds. I’m not boasting in my own abilities, but God greatly increased His spirit in me. In 1986, I enrolled in National Church of God’s Ministerial Internship Program, also known as M.I.P. and I graduated one year later.
Soon after graduation, I was appointed as an Elder and served for approximately one and one half years before I was ordained into the
ministry by Dr. T. L. Lowery as a minister of the Gospel along with eleven other men. What a glorious moment in my spiritual life! There are many
key points that helped to shape and mold me into the man that I am today.
Let me start first with the spiritual things. I’ve experienced two organizational changes within the church body. Through these experiences I was exposed to selfish ambitions, the love of money and I witnessed the slaughter of God’s sheep. I saw how people (good and bad) move in and out of your life. The Apostle Paul talked about dogs ravaging the sheep and the devil parading about in sheep’s clothing. There are two key take aways from these experiences: 1) Jesus is the Great Shepherd and cares for His sheep 2) God saved me for His purpose and not for man’s; these Church experiences at that time really damaged my hope in the Gospel. But thanks be to God for the true friends and true believers that were placed in my life by God to strengthen and encourage me through these times.
Another key experience (spiritual) that helped to mold my spiritual maturity is when I stepped into God’s Will to begin laying the foundation for “My Father’s House.” It is wonderful to watch and see how God causes things to work together for good; and how He moves on the hearts of men to support the work of the ministry.
There are so many natural experiences that I could mention that helped to shape and mold me into being the spiritual gift that I am today. However, I think the time that I was incarcerated in 1979, had the most profound impact on my natural life. That was truly a turning point in my life. I realized how precious freedom is when you have the ability to come and go as you please. I also realized that I was not designed by God to be “caged” but to have personal freedom to pursue success.
In conclusion, I truly hope that you’ve enjoyed reading my story. I pray that something I have shared will impact your life in some way, form or fashion. May the peace of God be with you as you grow in His love.
In Christ,
Louis G. Whiting, Pastor