Know The Bible: Study Method Early Years: Charles e Whisnant

Before Seminary, while still in High School I had a desire to know the Bible.  On of my projects was to study the Book of Galatians.  Here is the original notes from that study. Back in 1963 I worked on this project. 

Hand Printed then and still love doing that today. Notes from the Galatians study

Yes this 

Yes this is my first Scofield Bible back in the day, around 1960 I believe and used it in those days at Roanoke Baptist Temple and then in Seminary up to 1969. 

I believe ever page is used, and the original notes ours still in the Bible

I never ask a student in my youth class to do what I would not do.

Scofield Edition Bible, Roanoke Baptist Temple, and Current Connection

 

I pulled out my old bible I used back in the day this morning (1962)

 

I taught the book of Psalms in the youth class for a while from this Bible and I used Charles Spurgeon's Treasure of David

Charles e Whisnant, Youth Pastor at Roanoke Baptist Temple back in 1964-1966 for 27 months in Roanoke Virginia.  Here I was at our Youth Camp in North Caroline, which I can not remember where, but I do know we had a wonderful time in those days.  

I used my Scofield Bible that I had in 1962 when I lived on 505 21st Street  N.W. in Roanoke, VA and the phone number was DI 32131. And we lived near Sandra Richardson whom I dated all though High School live next to us, , and close to Al Myers and Barbara Eakins now married.

W

Al and Barbara Myers 2013

(I would love to have a photo of them. Well I might have

We were on a Youth trip back in 1965 I believe. The photo to the left at the top is Donald and the photo to the right is Al. And Barbara is in the group.

The photo to in the bottom left is Barbara Jean Campbell

and the others which is hard to tell is a group from our youth

I mention Barbara Jean Campbell because of our recent friend 2013 of Dwight Haynes family and Dwight is related to Barbara Jean and  that we had them in  our church in July. 

 

WHAT IS PREACHING THE WORD OF GOD, NOT ALL PREACHING IS.

 

Well I once said if I could teach with my head not showing that would be good, because people would hear  what I side rather than look at me. Well I did cut off some of my face. 

It seems that I am always evaluating ministry. I have from day one of ministry.    What kind of ministry does the Lord want our church to have?  I have spend my entire life as a servant of the Lord wanting to do the work of the Lord the way the Lord would be most pleased. 

From the first position that I had as a Youth pastor/teacher at Dad's church in Roanoke VA, when I really didn't have a clue what I was doing at age 16 to 18, pre- college days and still in High School. But what I did want to do was teach the Word of God. 

My Dad Everette Whisnant

Goodness, 1982 at FBC in Altoona, Kansas

C

Charles at Roanoke Baptist Temple in 1965

I loved teaching Revelation, and Colossians, and Psalms those 27 months that I was the teacher of the youth.   We had such a wonderful time in working with teens our own ages.  I had just a great time doing so many wonderful things, but the main thing was teaching the Word of God. 

 I wanted the Word of God to be the primary reason why they came to church and to come to Christ was to learn Christ and His righteousness.

I wanted people to come to our class to learn the Word of God so that they could live a holy life pleasing unto the Lord.  Matthew 5:20 I believe.  For me getting a person to get saved was not the motive. My motive was to see a person seeking to know the Lord and wanting to known Him and be like Him.  And the best way was in my mind to do that was  to teach the Word of the Lord.  To know Him is to learn about Him.

I didn't want to spend my time trying to get people to be holy by methods other than teaching them the Word of God.   I have come to realize the way people are saved and live a holy life is if they are drawn by the Holy Spirit of God.   As a preacher, I have realize that if I try to draw them into any kind of living a holy life the change will not last.  If the Word of God doesn't draw them then into holiness than the life will not be pleasing to the Lord.  I used to believe I was  to draw them into change by my methods other than the teaching of the Word of God.

Unless the Lord changes our  hearts from the inside out we will not change.  Where God is doing the persuading in our life to be like Him,  then there will be genuine change and holiness.  The best way in my mind is to teach the Word of God, as I have mention in the lesson Wednesday night.  

So what is meant by "Teaching or Preaching the Word of God."  May  I say, not all those who say they "preach the Word of God," are preaching the Word of God.

SERMON PREPARATION THE EARLY YEARS AND YOUTH CLASS

Sermon Preparation Early Years 1962-1966

click for another article on this subject.

 The early years of teaching the Bible. I started reading the Bible in 1960.  I started teaching the Teenagers and Young Adults at RBC in 1962 and the first series of lessons were from Psalms and the notes above are from that series.  I believed I used some of Spurgeon's notes from the Treasure of David that my Dad had in his library.

Those early years we studied the Bible all week.  We had some kind of activity with the teens almost every day during the week and then on Sunday and Sunday Night, and I also had a radio program. 30 minutes live each Sunday afternoon.

Al Myers remembers the classes we had, and we would later travel to different churches to preach at Youth Rallies.  I remember those days very well.  I talked to Al and Barbara Myers this week from their home in New Jersey.  What a joy that was to talk to them, and how they are very active in their church mnistries. 

Sandra Richardson who was my girlfriend for three years I learned this last week at died in her home in Virginia, she was 63, she was the same age as I was.  She was a part of our group in RBC all those years. What a great time we had at church, youth camp and in our home and on the softball field in the summer.

 Well my whole hearts desire in those days was to get into the Word and try to study the Word.  Dad would take us to a WBF Fellowship Preachers meeting each month.  Those days there were no less than 10 preachers that preached over two days.  And I would take notes from each of them.

                                      Al and Barbara Myers today

                                ROANOKE BAPTIST TEMPLE AS I WAS THERE IN 2010

                          Gary Correl when he an his wfe were at my MOM funeral in July 2010

                       Wayne Sanders when he was at my MOM's funeral in 2010

 

SAMSON'S EMPTY HANDS: FIRST SERMON I PREACHED

One of the first sermons I preached was "Samson's Empty Hands." In my old Scofield Bible that I had back in high school I have the notes that I used.  Goodness.  I must have preached that sermon a few dozen times.

I don't know if it was back in 1964 in Roanoke Baptist Temple that I first preached it.  But I preached it in a lot of places.

Al Myers and Don and myself would go places to preach in youth meetings in those days. We had a great time.  I only wised we had photos of those days. But I don't have any photos of those times in Roanoke, Virginia.

Talked to Al and Barbara  Myers March 01 over the phone, and they are doing so good as a family and as servants of Christ in their local church. What a blessing to learn of their faithfulness to the Lord.  

 

Roanoke Virginia Days and Update 2010

Youth trip in Roanoke Virginia back in the last 1960's. (click on photo for larger size)

Charles Whisnant, Dolly , Joyce and Buddy Cooper

Gary and Sandra Correll and Joyce Copper

Charles Whisnant and Wayne Sanders

Al and Barb Myers

MANY HAVE GONE CRAZY GREEN PARTONE

Sunday evening at Rivers of Joy Baptist I spoke on Global Warming. Of course, I had never addressed that issue before in a lesson or sermon. But we hear so much about this green symbol that I began to say, "What does the Bible have to say about all this?"

In researching for the lesson, I was so surprised how much the evangelical community of churches have gotten involved with this latest fad. Thanks to Google I was able to discover some very interesting articles on the subject.

I understand the naturalist community getting involved in wanting to clean up the environment.

I understand that we should be conscious of having clean air, and clean water, and clean soil so we can have safe food and water to drink and air that is clean to breath. I get the idea we don't want to get poison in our foods.

I get that we should have cars that do not pollute the air. I get it that companies like Ohio Stove here in Portsmouth make a product that requires them to change their process that could pollute the air.

I am glad that there has been an effort to make products safe to use. Growing up we never gave a thought about what we drank out of, we never gave a thought what we breathed in from the air. We saw black smoke coming from the factories in Roanoke, Virginia, and never gave it a thought. We used paint that had lead and never thought about the effects of it.

The environment in my neighborhood was not an issue. Well, in my surrounding of people that I knew we didn't talk about how we should clean up the environment. We didn't think that smoking a LSMFT would harm the air or your lungs. (Of course, I have never smoked either).

I don't remember a single sermon by my Dad, Everette Whisnant, on "Let's Clean Up The Environment." He did mention that smoking and drinking were not good for you. I do not remember any school teacher talking about the polluted air around Roanoke. And believe me, there was polluted air, from the local "dump" as it was called in those days. Today it's the land fill station. They would burn the trash every day, and you knew when they did. It's a wonder we didn't die from the stink, you know. I lived in that environment for 18 years no less.

I am glad they have changed a lot of practices that we used to do. You can't just dump your trash outside in a ditch. You can't put your raw trash in a can, now you have to put it in a plastic bag; and then there is the whole process of getting rid of it in a proper matter. Oh my, Allan Barnhart knows what I am talking about there.

Anyway, where I draw the line is this idea that we should repent as Christians of our behavior of the past. I should not have to repent of green sins..

I will pick this up tomorrow.

Roanoke Baptist Temple and now a Rescue Mission

Roanoke Baptist Temple of 1963-1966 Is Now a Rescue Mission

The map of the location of Roanoke Baptist Temple as was shown by Google in 2010.

The mission provides sleeping and washing accommodations to homeless men and women, a free cafeteria, free medical clinic, thrift store, free year-long live-in addiction recovery program for men and for women, a family shelter, and a summer rural day-camp for children.


The Roanoke Rescue Mission is a Christian mission located in downtown Roanoke, Virginia. The mission is the largest homeless shelter in the state of Virginia. It is part of the City Mission movement.

See the photos here and see here the work at the Rescue Mission in Roanoke


While in Roanoke Virginia this week, I took these photos of the building that was in 1962-1966 the Roanoke Baptist Temple. I will say more next time.

ROANOKE BAPTIST TEMPLE 1963-66

This list will show 30 girls names and 40 boys names that attended our class

over the 27 months. I have always liked keeping records. With the numbers are names who today I still like to remember them.

(if you click on the paper, enlargment will happen)

Of course 43 years ago, I don't remember all the details, but I do remember those were some of the best times of our lives. December 1963 thru February 1966 when my Dad passed away, that would be 27 months I believe.
God's grace, gave great gain, glorified, gladness, gathering. godliness, and grace.



Roanoke Baptist Temple, Ronaoke, Virginia

The papers on this post are the original papers that I had in 1966. I have keep them now for these 43 years. I have always viewed ministry as people and not numbers. I believe I have names of most of the youth who have attended our classes over the last 43 yearss of ministry.

I would love to know where these youth are today? I know of a few. I know some are in ministry and still serving the Lord. That is what it is all about.

OBJECTIVES OF YOUTH MINISTRY

What is the objective of the ministry? When I was a Youth Pastor or Pastor, just what was the objective? part one \

Roanoke Baptist Temple 1963-1966

Youth Pastor Charles E. Whisnant

At first, I just did what I naturally wanted to do. I really didn’t have any professional training in ministry as a teen. I never read a book on

1. “HOW TO BECOME A TEACHING PRO-YOUTH PASTOR.,”
2. “WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BECOME A YOUTH PASTOR AT A LOCAL CHURCH?”
3. “LEARN TO TEACH THE BIBLE…THE PROFESSION OF A LIFETIME.”
4. “LEADER IN THE FIELD OF BIBLE INSTRUCTION.”

What does it take to become a golf teaching pro at a country club?

What does it take to become a pro youth pastor?

IN 1964 THERE WERE NO GOOGLING SEARCH ENGINES

From those days when I first became interested in church ministry, I loved working with people. Well, maybe not loving people so much, but having the desire to see youth grow in their love for Jesus Christ. I would say I wanted to teach them the Bible. I wanted to teach the Word of God in a way that would bring about their salvation and their love for the Lord, and their service for Him in the ministry. In teaching them the Word, and by their learning the principles set forth by Scripture, they would have a life that would be well pleasing unto the Lord. I believed the success in life, the success of living our life, was bound up in learning and applying the principles of the Word of God.

In those early years, I am referring to the ministry of Roanoke Baptist Temple, even as a teenager, I wanted to teach the Scripture. I wanted to learn myself, and I wanted to teach the Word to the teens. In my youth, Dad would take the family almost every month to a Fellowship Meeting to hear preachers preach. In our home, having preachers in our home was normal. Getting up in the morning, Dad would have the radio on Back To The Bible and Theodore Epps, or Oliver Greene, and Lester Roloff and others. How could you hear all them and not learn and want to learn what Christ had to say. There was a balance of teaching and preaching and encouragement to learn the Word.

I couldn’t write enough. I wrote down as much as I could about what I was learning and what I wanted to say. I was always writing down what I wanted to accomplish. I always wrote down the group of teens that I was working with. A practice I have done and continue to do to this day. MINISTRY IS PEOPLE. I always wanted to learn how to do ministry. What was the best way to teach, the best way to communicate truth and how to help people know the Lord and want to serve the Lord. I was always trying to figure out what was the best way of accomplishing my objectives.

I wanted people in our neighborhood to know Christ. I wanted those who came to our church and youth department to know Christ. I wanted them to understand what was meant to be a Christian and love Christ.

One of the ways to accomplish my objectives was to learn first myself. Secondly, I wanted to show others that I was a person who loved Christ. The best way of doing that, I believed, was to be with them. Youth trips, teaching at home, youth camp, retreats.

This has been a practice throughout the ministry. Our lives were to be a part of any one who would be with us. I always was trying to find ways to be with others so that I could teach them.

FRIENDS FROM THE PAST

THE ROANOKE BAPTIST TEMPLE YOUTH GROUP OUTLING

Today I received an email from one of these young people in the pictures. I can't remember if this picture was taken in 1964 or 1965, in Roanoke Virginia. (I have not connected my scanner, when I do I will have a better picture to show. )

I have not heard from Al and Barbara Myers since by father died in 1966. While I often think of these young people and those days as Youth Pastor of the church, I have not seen them since dad died. Today I heard from Al and Barbara Myers. What a wonderful blessing. What is more blessed is that they are involved in their local church in NJ.

My sister Ellen is in this picture, and my brother Don is too. Melvin Gray who paid for the trip has passed away some years ago. If you know any of these young people I would like to know where they are and what they are doing today.

ROANOKE BAPTIST TEMPLE

YOUTH DIRECTOR OF
ROANOKE BAPTIST TEMPLE, ROANOKE, VIRGINIA
December 1963 - February 1966

When I was the Youth Director of Roanoke Baptist Temple from Dec 1963 thru February 1966 in Roanoke, Virginia, our youth group had a wonderful time. Melvin Gray, my assistant, who was saved in our church during a revival meeting, loved helping. Melvin provided transportation for us. He worked at the Bus Station and was able to get us this bus for a youth trip.

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While I was still in Jefferson High School dad asked me to be the teacher of the Youth Class. Donnie Taylor the teacher of the class left for the War in 1963. It was a wonderful experience as teacher of this class. For twenty-seven months, until my father died, we really had some wonderful times. While I played football at Jefferson and played basketball and other sports and club activities at the school, I was very involved with the ministry at the church. We were having activities each night with the youth during the school week, and we had a lot of activities during the summer. And I was dating Sandra Richardson for three years.

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Those twenty months we had a membership of thirty boys and forty girls. We established a good ministry with the youth. We began the "Team Captains" concept, which was the program we used in each church that we were to go in the future. Of course, after forty five years I cannot remember them all, but some I remember most: Those I have already mentioned above, and others: Jean Cundiff, Linda and Joyce Clay, Margie Pugh (her parents were very active in our church) Bonnie Greer, Sue Crigger, Brenda Williams, Barbara Eakin, Sue Becker, Beverly Dodson, Gary Correll, David Crager. Wayne and Jimmy Sanders who were our best friends. I have a list of over eighty, but these are the ones I really remember the best. I would really love to have a reunion of members of RBT.

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Dad always had a local radio program and during this time we were the director of a Youth Program each Sunday Afternoon live on the radio. We had a thirty minute program of music and I would preach. Donald and I would also go to preach in other churches for a Youth Rally.
Youth Camp was part of our ministry at RBT. Each year our youth group would travel to North Caroline to camp. Those were some very good days. I only wish I had pictures of those days.


Photo One: Charles Whisnant baseball at youth camp.
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Photo Two Front Row
Ones I can remember: Ellen Whisnant, Elaine Clay, Denny Campbell, Henry Clay, Melvin Gray

Sandra Richardson, Algie Myers, Donald Whisnant, Robert Shaver
Photo Three: Algie Myers at Youth Camp
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Photo Five: Robert Shavor, Myself, and Donald, Sue Crigger, Barbara Campbell, the Bus Driver, and Melvin Gray.