It’s not goodbye but see you soon

By Mary-Justine Lanyon

 

Like a shepherd watching over his flock, Pastor Mike Whisner has cared for the congregation at the Twin Peaks Community Church for the past 25 years. The time has come for him to retire.

However, fortunately for both the congregation and the community, Pastor Mike is not going far. He will remain as the pastor emeritus of the church, officiating at weddings and funerals and stepping in to lead the services when needed.

Born in El Monte, Calif., Pastor Mike lived most of his life in Oregon. He was a foster child, first sent to a home that was not ideal but then to a Christian home, where he lived for seven years until he aged out.

It was in that second home that he was introduced to the Bible. “God pulled me out of the first house and put me in a Christian foster home so I could respond to him,” Pastor Mike said. Two verses stuck with him:

• John 15:16 – “You have not chosen me but I have chosen you and ordained you so that you might go and bear fruit.”
• 2 Timothy 4:5 – Paul commands Timothy to “do the work of an evangelist.”

With those verses in mind, the young Mike Whisner spontaneously accompanied the youth pastor from his church to Prairie Bible College in Alberta, Canada. To pay for his education, he sang in a quartet, representing the college. He graduated with no student debt.

Pastor Mike returned to Welches, Ore., and his church, Church on the Mountain. He began as the youth pastor but shortly thereafter became the pastor (at the age of 28) when the pastor left. When he began serving the church, the congregation was small – under 50. Over the 20 years he was there, it grew to nearly 500. They had three services – two on Saturday and one on Sunday.

Pastor Mike met his wife, Rachel, while she worked at the local Dairy Queen. “I went there to get ice cream so I could see her,” he said. They married and their family began to grow. As it did, Pastor Mike realized he couldn’t be as attentive as he wanted to be to either the church or his family. It was time to downsize, to look for a smaller church.

The Twin Peaks church had posted the opening for a pastor on the Internet. Because the area where he lived in Oregon was a recreational resort area with lots of pine trees like the mountain, he found the prospect of moving here attractive.

“They got 700 resumes for the position,” Pastor Mike said. “They alphabetized them and, since my name starts with a W, they didn’t contact me for a year. They asked if I was still interested.” Thus began a series of flights back and forth.

“It was a match made in heaven,” he noted. “They were happy to have a family with 10 children as they had no children when we came.” The Whisner family eventually grew to 12 children with 24 years between the oldest and youngest.

Pastor Mike agreed that perhaps he had such a large family because he did not have one of his own. But, more than that, “We both love children. We let God decide if we would have them.”

Most people, he said, “know me as the balloon man. I had to supplement my income and that became an identifying mark.” He has made balloon creations for diners at Papagayos since the restaurant opened – something he continues to do.

All the children learned how to make balloon animals from their father. They will be at the upcoming retirement celebration, making what Pastor Mike said will be crazy hats for folks to wear.

As for the Twin Peaks church, it will be in good hands. For four years Jonathan Trask has been the associate pastor, working alongside Pastor Mike. He has now been called to be the church’s pastor.

Pastor Jonathan grew up on the mountain and graduated from Rim of the World High School. He and the congregation already know each other so the transition will be smooth, Pastor Mike said.

As for Pastor Mike’s plans in retirement, he and Rachel will first travel across the country, visiting their children, their 36 grandchildren and their one great-grandchild. Some of the children live in California but others live in Texas, Maryland, Tennessee and Virginia. Then the couple will come back to their home near the church. “This is retirement country – where else would I go?” Pastor Mike asked.

Pastor Mike’s retirement celebration will take place on Sunday, March 29 at 2:00 p.m. at Thousand Pines Christian Camp. “Everyone is welcome,” he said.