Bethany Baptist Church

Pastor Gary White
Thanks for letting me take a moment to tell you a little bit about myself.

I was originally born in Hampton, Virginia, but I was raised in the central Florida area. I committed my life to Christ in August of 1980 and was strongly influenced by the ministry of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

After working in the circuit board industry for seven years, I left Florida for southern California in order to attend The Master's College. I graduated from The Master's College in 1993 with a B.A. in Biblical Studies, with an emphasis in biblical languages.

In 1999, I began my seminary training at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida. During my seminary training I completed a pastoral internship at a church in Maitland, Florida. I graduated from Reformed Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity in 2003. I accepted the call to be the pastor of Bethany Baptist Church (North Hills) and officially took the pulpit in November of 2003.

I believe that the primary mission of the pastor is "to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:11-13). I believe that the primary model of a pastor is that of a shepherd (1 Peter 5:1-4). The shepherd leads, feeds, nurtures, and protects the flock of God. The shepherd does not operate from a corporate or business mindset. People are the priority, not programs and personal agendas. I believe that the primary mandate of the pastor is to preach and teach the whole counsel of God (2 Timothy 3:16, 17; 4:1-2). This is primarily accomplished through the verse by verse exposition of Scripture. I believe that the primary motive of the pastor is to be like Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:12-14; Romans 8:29). The person and work of Christ must satiate the heart and mind of the pastor. It is the life of Christ that the pastor must strive to emulate.

Much of my Christian thought has been influenced by those historic and contemporary leaders of the Christian faith who have boldly proclaimed both the sufficiency of Scripture and the supremacy of Christ. I am indebted to the ministries and spiritual contributions of John Calvin, the Puritans, C.H. Spurgeon, D.A. Carson, and John Piper. But of all the spiritual influences in my life, no one has done more to shape my theological thinking than John MacArthur. MacArthur has done more than anyone to influence my views on God's design for the church. While attending The Master's College, I was a member of MacArthur's church (Grace Community Church) from 1988-1993. My time at Grace Community was invaluable in helping me develop a biblical view of the church. That being said, my gratitude to John MacArthur is enormous.