Meet the author: Don Waite
I was born and raised in the town of Pasco, Washington, located on the banks of the Columbia River in the eastern side of the state. I was the third of five children in a blue-collar family. My sisters might argue that I was spoiled, since I was the only boy and consequently did not have to share a bedroom. Church attendance was mandatory. I attended public schools but was more interested in sports than in grades.
I became much more serious about academics while attending Washington State University. My plan was to attend law school and become an attorney, but God had other plans for me. I was accepted into my preferred law school, but never attended a class. After finishing college, I was invited to serve on the youth staff of a church in Portland, Oregon. That was a life-changing experience. Three years later I began theological training at Covenant Theological Seminary near St. Louis. Halfway through, I transferred to Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA. I graduated with a Masters in Divinity.
God called me to a church in Seattle, WA. Before completing the first year, I married Ellie Leonard, and she has been my partner in ministry and life ever since. Both our daughters were born while we lived and served for nine years in that wonderful Seattle church. I was responsible for youth and missions. When I was ordained and began my ministry at that church, I assumed that good pastors produced good churches, but learned that good churches produce good pastors.
Our second call was to a church in Phoenix, AZ, my first experience being a senior pastor and preaching weekly. The church exploded with new people, attendance almost tripling in our eight years there. While there, somehow people in twelve step groups (like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous) found out about the church through the recovery group grapevine. They came because there was no pretense, they were welcomed, loved, and the good news was paramount.
Our third call was to a church between Seattle and Mt. Rainier. For twelve years we gave ourselves to that large but struggling church. After 20 years of fruitful church ministry, I was confident that God would use me to help that church flourish. It never happened. I was both humbled and broken, but it was God’s way of restoring me to spiritual health by depending on him.
God then sent us to a church in Wichita, KS for nine years. By that time, I was firmly convinced that God’s plan for his churches was to make disciples, not to fill the pews, build bigger and more grandiose buildings, or meet everyone’s expectations. This church embraced the vision, and we made disciples of Jesus. It was thrilling. I loved every minute.
Then we retired and moved to metro Phoenix. I spent four years working with combat veterans who suffered from PTSD. I enjoyed and loved those men. As always, my focus was to make disciples and I began writing materials to move those veterans in that direction. Those materials were the seeds that have grown into THE JESUS WAY - The challenge of going all-in for Jesus, which is available for download here.
God called and equipped me to be a pastor, which means shepherd. What an enormous privilege I had shepherding the flocks God entrusted to my care. It was challenging, but oh so satisfying. I loved having access to people’s lives in the best and worst of times. I laughed and cried with them. I gave my all. I also love being Ellie’s husband, and Laura’s and Julie’s dad, as well as father-in-law to the wonderful men they married, Justin and Dustin. But my favorite title is when my granddaughter addresses me as Papa, which brings a smile to my face.
I love children (especially my granddaughter), enjoy travel (I have visited dozens of countries on five continents), watch sports (go Cougs), like to read books, play golf (high handicapper), am deeply grateful for my family and friends, and above all else,
I seek to live my life as an apprentice of Jesus in Kingdom living.
My life motto is “God is good, life is a gift, and I am grateful.”
Also by Don Waite, Co-Authored with Charlotte Hill
Traveling Home: A Young Man’s Story of Courage and Faith, Kregel Publications, © 2008
“With the impending death of Charlotte Hill's son Peter, Rev. Don Waite (Peter's uncle) writes letters to Peter offering hope without wishful thinking, truth without whitewashing the darkness, and love without embarrassment. And, when Peter dies, his faith and the faith and strength of this family offer us all a way of communicating about death when it is so difficult to express ourselves. Peter's story is a great resource for anyone who is faced with the eminent death of a family member or close friend. Traveling Home: The right words for a difficult time.”
— Reviewer, Lawrence P. Williams
Don’s words on the last page of this book, offer a glimpse into his spiritual formation and long-standing commitment to what he believes, and how he has lived his life:
Peter helped me to clarify my goals. It’s not complicated. I want to live well and I want to die well. For me, living well means to live with, like, and for Christ. Jesus is my all in all. The closer I get to him the more I want to be in his presence. I look forward to that wondrous day when the curtain is lifted for me and, like Peter, I meet Jesus face-to-face.
In the meantime, I live in joyous anticipation,
Don
You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever. Psalm 16:11 NLT