Where Are They Now? Dr. John Whitcomb.

About Dr. John Whitcomb:
*Taught from 1981-2012 on the New York campus
*Also taught in Florida, Owen Sound, Philippines, Brazil, Germany, Argentina

Get to Know Dr. John Whitcomb:

What did you enjoy most about teaching at the Bible Institute?
The enthusiastic response of the students to the teaching of the Word of God.

What are some of your favorite memories from the Bible Institute?
Young people being illuminated, encouraged, and enlightened to take the message of God’s Word all over the world, and international students coming to the Bible Institute who then took God’s Word to their country.

What makes the Bible Institute different from other schools?
It’s very biblical and not compromised in any area — creation, eschatology, and everything in between! God is Alpha and Omega and everything in between.

What has been your favorite part about teaching God's Word throughout your lifetime?
The fact I don’t have to prove the Bible. The Holy Spirit does the work.

What do you enjoy most about your current time of life?
Staying at home a little bit more to catch up on my desk work. Being able to do radio and the writing of articles and books from home.

Who are some people who have been an encouragement to you? Why? What have they done?
Tom Davis and Marshall Wicks, who were former students of mine. They are now staff at the Bible Institute, and they encourage me every time I see them. Can I mention one more? Jack Wyrtzen! (big chuckle) He was bubbly, glowing, and loved sharing the Gospel. He acted like he loved Jesus!

What is one thing you want to leave with the next generation of Bible students and future Bible teachers?
My life verse, 2 Timothy 2:2: “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

Dr. Whitcomb is considered a key spokesman for the modern biblical creationism movement, a pursuit that began after he was brought up learning the theory of evolution but was convicted that those teachings did not line up with the Bible. He used his breadth of knowledge in history and the Old Testament to teach and write extensively on the topic, including his books The Early Earth, The World that Perished, Esther: The Triumph of God’s Sovereignty, The Genesis Flood, and Coming to Grips with Genesis: Biblical Authority and the Age of the Earth, which was written in his honor.

Dr. Whitcomb also has a particular passion for global ministry, stemming from a childhood in Asia and service in World War II. He helped establish a church in Puerto Rico and did missions work in Peru and China. He was president of the Board of Spanish World Gospel Missions for more than 40 years.

After earning his bachelors at Princeton University, Dr. Whitcomb received his masters and doctorate at Grace Theological Seminary, where he also taught theology for nearly 40 years. He is the founder and president of Whitcomb Ministries.

Click here for some memories of Dr. Whitcomb from the associate academic dean at the Bible Institute's Owen Sound campus, Doug Reider. 

Alumnus of the Year: Chris Gnanakan.

In last summer’s edition of the Victory Journal, we told you about Dr. Chris Gnanakan’s journey. He went from being a technician in Bangalore, India, to a church-planter on fire for God, thanks in part to the vision of Jack Wyrtzen and Wendell Calder and a scholarship to the Bible Institute in New York.

Chris is busy blazing new paths for contemporary global missions as the recently named executive director of Outreach to Asia Nationals (OTAN), an international organization dedicated to bringing the Gospel to restricted countries by training nationals in evangelism.

This past spring, Chris was given another distinction: 2013 Word of Life Bible Institute Alumnus of the Year.

“First and foremost, I feel humbled as a street kid from India receiving this honor from an international organization on the cutting edge of church and life,” he says of the recognition.

When studying at the Bible Institute, Chris says he gained a deep biblical knowledge as well as intensive training in evangelism, which he used to take the hope of the Gospel back to India. Through OTAN, he says he’s able to return the blessing given to him so many years ago by expanding the reach of the message of Christ in limited-access nations, including North Korea, Butan, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

The thousands of churches Chris has helped plant through both his own efforts and his training of others will carry his influence into the future. He wants his legacy to be his teaching — Chris encourages the nationals he disciples to have a sense of urgency about their faith because he believes work ethic is the heartbeat of evangelism. But, while there is what he calls “prosperity in posterity,” he says he is also forever indebted to Jack Wyrtzen and Wendell Calder and his former mentor, Gene Tozer, for kindling his fire for the Lord and preparing to shine that light in the darkest corners of the world.

“The heritage I’ve received through Word of Life was so foundational and formative in shaping me and giving me the impetus for global missions,” Chris says. “I feel equipped.”

A Message to Fellow Alumni from Chris Gnanakan

Dr. Chris Gnanakan says he lives by three questions that he learned at Word of Life. He has passed this advice on to hundreds of thousands of other disciples in 91 countries through curriculum he has developed. He encourages fellow alumni to apply these questions to their own lives and to reflect on them each day.

1.  Is God’s Word well used in my life?

“Is my strategy biblical? Is my vision Jesus’ vision for the church? Word of Life gave me the acquisition of truth and the application of truth in real life. Through the habit of daily Quiet Time I have learned how to use the knowledge of God’s Word in my life each day.”

2. Is God’s work well done?

“At the Bible Institute, I learned that work is divine. Nobody died of hard work! There is value in being a workaholic for God. You’ve got to give it all you’ve got! Integrity should characterize your work. It makes people respect you. Aesthetics and truth go together — people are attracted to it.”

3. Is my Lord well pleased?

“Like Paul the apostle, my ambition is to please the Lord, the One who called me. Word of Life taught me to live for the pleasure of God. When I go to bed at night, can I see him raise his thumbs? I think of Galatians 1:9-10 — like a conductor with an orchestra, sometimes you must turn your back on the world.”

Refresh: Reaching the next generation for Christ.

“It is the responsibility of every generation to reach the next generation for Christ.”

Jack Wyrtzen often made this statement when he preached. Growing up in Word of Life, I always assumed ministering to young people was normal — everyone did that, didn’t they? That seemed to be part of the core DNA of any ministry: the next generation.

But as I’ve grown and become actively involved in different ministries, I can’t help but notice an absence of young people — not only sitting in our pews but also involved in life-changing discipleship in our churches. It begs the question: Have we, as believers, lost sight of this goal? Does ministering to this next generation seem like a lost cause because young people’s hearts are so hard from the world’s influence? Or, maybe, have we forgotten how to minister to them?

What does it look like to reach this next generation for Christ? Here are some specific ways we should approach today’s young people if we want to be effective in sharing truth in their everyday lives.

1. Talk to them! Don’t assume that young Christians are immune to the influence of the world.

This next generation is being exposed to adult content at a younger age than ever before, and it’s not just in public schools. This is the world in which this generation has to live, and we must prepare them to do so successfully. We can’t assume they’re OK because they seem like “good Christian kids.” We must help them by actively building relationships and talking with them about real issues. We need to put the iPhones and iPads down, get off Facebook, and interact with the next generation. This way, they won’t choose to reveal their secrets to a stranger but rather to a trusted guide.

2. Show them the difference between acceptance and approval.

There is a big difference between acceptance and approval, but so often our world confuses the two. In their minds, if you don’t approve of their choices, you’re rejecting them because their identity is wrapped up in the decisions they make. But we must teach this generation that God alone has the right to define them (Genesis 2; Ephesians 1). Acceptance and approval are very different — though we accept people because we love and care for them, we do not approve of some of their actions. When young people admit to doing something, remind them that you are there for them, you want them to be successful in life, and you accept them always. But also tell them that you cannot approve of the choices they are making because there is a difference between acceptance and approval.

3. Give them love with leadership.

No one made this point better than Jesus Christ! When dealing with the woman caught in adultery, first Jesus loved her, and then He led her (John 8:1-11). Titus 2 talks about how the older generation should protect, love, and lead this next generation by example for the sake of the Gospel. What are we doing to fulfill this?

4. Don’t give up on them.

Tenacity is key when working with this next generation. We must be more stubborn about their growth than they are about their own way. Paul encourages us in Galatians 6:9 not to give up! This next generation needs us to be persistent. We must teach them and guide them, but most importantly, we need to pray for them. We can’t afford to give up.

The young people of the next generation may seem like they’re chock full of challenges, and they are. But they aren’t without hope, because they aren’t without an older generation to teach them.

How are you reaching the next generation for Christ?

Sarah Bubar, Class of 1995, is the dean of women at the Bible Institute’s Florida campus. She recently graduated from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Texas, where she received her masters of divinity in women’s studies. While there, Sarah and her friends started an online resource ministry called UnlockingFemininity.com and co-authored a book called Radical Dating: When God Takes Control of Your Love Life. Her passion includes discipleship and teaching the Word of God to women.