Scott Allen	Bennie Nelson	Clay and Dee Davis	Mike and Debbie White	Billy Diggs

Mike and Debbie White

In this issue we are proudly shining the servant spotlight on two of God's finest, Mike and Debbie White of Morgantown, West Virginia. I had the awesome privilege of meeting these precious servants of God in the summer of 1990 in Alexandria, Virginia. Mike was head elder in their church and Debbie was serving selflessly as the church's associate worship leader. Both of them wore several different hats, so to speak, and frankly if it was not for their Christlikeness and endless sacrifices, the church could have never experienced the successes that it did.

For most of the eighties and nineties they lived in Lorton, Virginia where they built a very successful sheet metal fabrication company which they still operate. Being two of the most focused and hard working people I know, the team of Mike and Debbie are responsible for reaching thousands with the love and life-changing message of Jesus Christ. Of the many things that they have done for God and His people, there are two that I was directly involved with that will forever be etched in my heart.

I was asked by the pastor of a small congregation in the most impoverished county in South Carolina if I would come and speak at their morning and evening services. I arrived on Saturday afternoon. The Pastor and his wife gave me a tour of their church building which was being converted from an old 1940's era roadside motel. The motel office had been converted into the sanctuary and most of the tiny motel rooms had become classrooms. As we walked through the tiny rooms, I was taken aback as the Pastor's wife grabbed me by the arm and with an abundance of pride in what God had done led me into one of the small rooms. I saw an old four burner household style stove, an old household refrigerator, a makeshift sink and about half a dozen very old and worn kitchen utensils. As the two of them were showing me their "New Kitchen", they were grinning from ear to ear. With all of the joy of a mother with a firstborn child, she told me that she and the ladies of the church had over the past few months raised thirty five dollars for the kitchen ministry. They were going into town the following week to buy some much- needed things.

That night as I lay in bed I could hardly sleep. As I prayed for them and their congregation, I saw a great lighthouse with its light shining over the entire county of Dillon. The Lord spoke to me and said that He was going to raise up their kitchen ministry to feed the poor and hungry people of the entire county and beyond. After a long day of meetings the following day, we retired to the Pastor's living room for a time of fellowship before bed. It was at that time that I shared with them the vision God had shown me and what He had told me. As I was talking, the Pastor's wife broke down and began to cry. She went on to tell me that God had told her the exact same thing.

The next morning as I headed for home, all I could think about was what God had shown me concerning the kitchen outreach. Knowing that the folks of the Dillon congregation could not begin to afford the kind of kitchen equipment that it would take to reach that many people, I asked God for a really big miracle. As I prayed, the Lord spoke to me with resounding clarity and said "call Mike and Debbie White." I picked up my phone and called them immediately. After sharing with them what had taken place they said, without hesitation, "We want to help!"

To make a long and very involved story shorter, Mike and Debbie contacted a commercial kitchen supplier in Washington, D.C. They purchased, transported and installed a professional grade commercial kitchen in the Dillon Church. As if that wasn't enough, Mike and Debbie also handed the Pastor and his wife a very large check so that they could stock their beautiful new kitchen with everything that they would need to get it up and running. As a result of Mike and Debbie's selfless generosity, the kitchen ministry is feeding the needy of Dillon. Additionally, it has become so well known for its miraculous conception that area companies like Tyson Chicken have donated large quantities of food to their outreach ministry. A handful of the local restaurants were so impressed with their baked goods that they purchase bread and rolls from the church. The Church that has never been able to afford to support missions in foreign countries is now able to give on a regular basis.

As word of the Dillon miracle began to spread, I received a phone call from the Pastor of a Newport News inner city church sharing how God had shown him the same type of vision that He had given to the Pastors of the Dillon Church. I called Mike and Debbie again, and without hesitation, they selflessly did the same type of thing for the Newport News homeless outreach. These are just two of the many ways that God has been able to bless so many through these wonderful servants.

Since I met them in 1990 they have served in leadership in two local Churches and are currently recognized as pillars of faith in their new home city of Morgantown, West Virginia. Even though they have only been there for a few years, they continue to advance the Kingdom of God in a big way. Since the very moment they arrived, they began building their strategy for reaching the community. They started, stocked and staffed what has already become one of Morgantown's leading Christian Bookstores. Under the management of their beautifully anointed daughter Laura, their store "Good News" has become more than just a place to buy books, music and Veggie Tail's stuff. Good News has also done something that the vast majority of Christian Bookstores never do, it has become a place of ministry. Beautifully located in the city's largest mall, Good News attracts both Christians and unsaved passersby.

Having an extra special place in their hearts for young people, Mike and Debbie began seeking God through many hours of fasting and prayer for an effective way to reach the students of nearby West Virginia University.

Through a lot of hard work and many meetings with property owners, Mike and Debbie located and purchased a Masonic lodge next to campus in a prime location in downtown Morgantown. They appropriately named this huge four story commercial facility "The Water House". The ministry center now hosts hundreds of students every week and is the focal point for youth outreach and ministry for the entire city.

Along with all of this, Mike and Debbie also financially support a number of other ministries on a monthly basis, counsel folks as well as teach and/or speak to groups whenever and wherever the opportunities arise. While Mike spearheads the daily production of "Alpha Sheet Metal", Debbie's days are filled with helping Laura at the bookstore, keeping the home fires burning as well as making time for her and Mike to enjoy all that comes with their recently becoming brand new Grandparents. Along with Laura, Mike and Debbie have also raised another beautiful daughter named Leah. Leah lives with her husband Scott and their beautiful new son Ethan in Northern Virginia where she oversees the daily accounting and administrative needs of the sheet metal company.

Mike and Debbie are, as I said at the beginning of this article, "two of God's finest"! Their selfless generosity and firm commitment to furthering God's plan and purposes in the earth, model for us all what it means to truly be an Isaiah 58 believer. Please remember to lift the Whites up in prayer as they press on daily to see God's perfect will and purposes fulfilled in their lives. The Church of Jesus Christ needs more Mike and Debbie's !