Pastor Greg Laurie (left) and Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California, sponsors of missionary Paul Havsgaard, pictured ministering in Romania. (TRR Graphic)
Daniel Silliman and the Roys Report Work Hard and Go Deep, and Reveal That Greg Laurie and the Harvest Christian Fellowship Waited Over 20 Years to Call Police on Their Pedophile Pastor, Paul Havsgaard
The 20-Year Silence: How Greg Laurie’s Harvest Protected a Predator
Millstones for the Shepherds: The Two-Decade Cover-Up at Harvest Christian Fellowship
When Wolves Are Guarded: The Harvest Church, Paul Havsgaard, and the Betrayal of the Innocent
A Prophetic Exposé: The Roys Report Reveals Harvest’s Decades-Long Failure to Report Abuse
Beyond the Evangelical Industrial Complex: Uncovering the Systemic Cover-Up of a Pedophile Pastor
Labor Day Call, Two Decades Late: The Calculated Police Report After Years of Silence
Of Such Is the Kingdom? Harvest’s Secret Settlement and the Children Left Unprotected
Daniel Whyte III, President of Gospel Light Society International and Editor-in-Chief of Black Christian News, says, Julie Roys and Daniel Silliman of The Roys Report need your prayers and financial support, for the article you are about to read is very hard to write, very dangerous to write, and very painful to write. It is very hard to write because having to deal with demon-possessed bishops, pastors, and church people, who are liars and people who are part of the cover-up and the Judas false preachers who have taken their 30 million pieces of silver is very hard. It is dangerous because, believe it or not, there are some so-called evangelicals who will not kill you directly but will have you killed. It is painful because the truth of the matter is that no born-again-saved person wants to see the downfall of a prominent pastor or church. Period. Full stop. Julie Roys, Daniel Silliman, and the team at The Roys Report, Daniel Whyte III, and Black Christian News do not want to report on pastors’ and churches’ satanic bullsheep. Do you know what we really want? We really want all God-called bishops, pastors, and ministers to simply do what God called them to do. We just want you to do your job, and that is, according to the Word of God: “TO GIVE YOURSELVES CONTINUALLY TO PRAYER AND THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD,” and do not continue to rape and molest children, harass women in the church, and lie about it.
Whyte thanks God for The Roys Report. Julie Roys is a “Prophetess” of sorts, as she is doing the work of a prophetess. Whyte would only caution Julie Roys not to become proud, arrogant, and full of hubris regarding the talent, ability, and education “on loan from God” to deal with the satanically-driven, horrific cases perpetrated by false pastors and churches. Specifically, Julie Roys needs to be cautious about appearing too giddy about her victories over false prophets and churches. In other words, there is too much inappropriate laughing regarding these sad cases coming from her on her well-done podcasts. Whyte also cautions all the great writers, such as Daniel Silliman, who serves the Lord at The Roys Report, to stop giving out the city where they live. What The Roys Report calls the ‘Evangelical Industrial Complex’ and what Whyte calls the ‘Evangelical Illuminati’ and the ‘Sweet Evangelical Mafia’ have killed Christians in the past, and they will have you killed. First, they will kill you online because they have paid friends in high places, such as Google, Facebook, which includes Instagram and Threads, TikTok, and many other platforms. Then, if you do not stop calling out their wickedness and foolishness, they will harass you, threaten you, and kill you. Why? Because God is using you to bring them down off their high pedestal and destroy their prestige, and especially their pocketbook. Here is what Daniel Whyte III preached recently, which is connected to this tragic story:
I Can’t Say “Happy New Year” as Long as we Have Pedophile, Child Porn Pastors, Principals, and Politicians (Part 1), by Daniel Whyte III
“Millstones and Mercy: God’s Warning to Those Who Harm the Little Ones”
“When the Shepherds Become Wolves: A Divine Judgment on Child Abuse”
“Of Such is the Kingdom: Protecting the Innocent in a Perverse World”
“A New Year’s Lament: Why We Cannot Rejoice While Children Suffer”
“The Unforgivable Offense: Christ’s Warning to Abusers in Authority”
13 Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.
14 But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
15 And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.
-Matthew 19:13-15
1 Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!
2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
-Luke 17:1-2
My brothers and sisters, as we stand at the threshold of a new year, a heaviness rests upon my spirit. I have not uttered the words “Happy New Year.” I cannot. And I want you to understand why.
My conscience is bound by a holy conviction: I cannot say “Happy New Year” as long as we have pedophile, child porn pastors, principals, and politicians.
The Scripture burns in my soul. Jesus declared in Matthew 18:6, “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” He follows this with a grave warning: “Woe unto the world because of offences!… but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!”
This is not merely sin; this is profound wickedness. We are speaking of those in sacred positions of trust—the pulpit, the principal’s office, the halls of government—who have been ordained not to abuse, but to protect. Yet, they use their authority to prey upon the most vulnerable, the little children. It is appalling. It is an anger that stirs the righteous soul.
The prophet Isaiah condemns those “that call evil good, and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20). We live in such a time. And in this time, silence is complicity. These deeds must be exposed.
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To any pastor who abuses the sheep of his flock, especially the lambs: you must be exposed, jailed, and removed.
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To any principal or teacher who betrays the students in their care: you must be exposed, jailed, and removed.
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To any politician involved in the trafficking or exploitation of children: you must be exposed, jailed, and removed for life.
How can I, in good conscience, stand before God and pronounce a blessing of happiness when I know that at this very moment, little boys and girls are suffering at the hands of their appointed guardians?
Some may say, “But we are to preach the gospel!” I say, this is the gospel in action. The gospel sets captives free. The gospel exposes the works of darkness. The gospel lifts up those who cannot lift themselves. If the Church does not stand in this gap, who will? Our anemic state today is a direct result of our failure to stand for righteousness, justice, and “the least of these.”
Therefore, I will not say “Happy New Year.” Not until we cleanse our society. Not until we purge evil from our churches, our schools, and our government.
I issue a call tonight:
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To the guilty: If you are involved in this wickedness, repent this hour. Turn from your sin to Jesus Christ. Make it right. Surrender yourself to the authorities and bear the penalty of your crime. If you do not, know this: God’s judgment is upon you. A millstone in the sea is a more merciful fate than facing a holy God with the blood of innocence on your hands.
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To the Church: We must pray fervently for the victims—for their healing, deliverance, and justice. And prayer must propel us to action. We must be the watchmen who report abuse when we see it or suspect it. We must become the voice for the voiceless.
As we enter this new year, I do not wish you a hollow “happy” year. Instead, I wish you a righteous year. A just year. A year of courage to stand for what is right.
Let us heed the mandate of Proverbs 31:8-9: “Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction. Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.”
This is our Christian duty. Until we fulfill it, we have no right to the greeting.
Let us pray.
Heavenly Father, our hearts are broken over the abuse of Your little ones. We pray for healing and freedom for every victim. We pray for devastating conviction and true repentance for every abuser, that they may face justice here. And Lord, ignite Your Church. Give us the courage to stand, to speak, and to be a voice for the voiceless. Cleanse our land, Lord, beginning with Your own house. Until that day, make us faithful, righteous, and unwavering. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.
I Can’t Say “Happy New Year” as Long as we Have Pedophile, Child Porn Pastors, Principals, and Politicians (Part 2), by Daniel Whyte III
The call was made on a holiday. Someone on staff at Harvest Christian Fellowship phoned police at 4:16 p.m. on Labor Day 2024 and told the officer on duty that a former minister was accused of sexually abusing children.
“An incident report was made,” Riverside police spokesman Ryan Railsback confirmed in an email to The Roys Report (TRR), “after Harvest Christian Fellowship had learned of the allegations.”
But former staff and high-level volunteers at the Southern California megachurch led by evangelist Greg Laurie say the call wasn’t made days or months after hearing the allegations. They claim church leaders waited years before reporting former associate pastor and missionary Paul Havsgaard, 76, was suspected of molesting scores of children.
TRR has also found public records indicating Harvest knew about Havsgaard’s alleged child abuse as early as 2004 — 20 years before the call to police.
Harvest and Harvest’s lawyer have not responded to emails with questions about when church leaders knew about the pedophilia allegations and why police were only contacted in 2024.
California law requires ministers contact law enforcement if they have knowledge or “reasonable suspicion” that a child has been abused. But the ordained men leading Harvest waited until they knew a series of civil lawsuits was going to make the allegations public, according to former staff and volunteers.
“Everything’s ‘be quiet,’ ‘keep quiet,’ ‘nothing to see here,’” one long-time volunteer who no longer attends the church told TRR. “There’s no accountability. … Things are quiet; things slide by.”
Two former volunteers and two former staff members spoke to TRR about the allegations on the condition that their names and identities not be published. They fear Harvest and Calvary Chapel Association leaders will blacklist them and their family members from ministry positions. The church also could put pressure on their current employers to silence them, the sources say.
TRR has confirmed the former staff and volunteers’ identities and work histories, as well as key details of their independent, overlapping accounts.
Records show sudden separation
Public documents show that Harvest and Calvary Chapel ministers cut ties with Havsgaard suddenly in 2005. This was right after a trio of ministers in Romania reported allegations of Havsgaard’s pedophilia to Harvest and Calvary leaders, McAllister Olivarius, the London and New York-based law firm suing Harvest, told TRR.
Harvest employed Havsgaard as a minister when he first moved to Romania to run orphanages in the late 1990s, according to archived images of the church website. In 2002, Havsgaard started his own nonprofit, called Actively Restoring Kids International (ARK). According to the legal papework that Havsgaard filed, the new nonprofit shared a Riverside address with Harvest: 6115 Arlington Ave.
There were other connections as well. Havsgaard listed Wes Denham, a Calvary Chapel Association regional leader, as his vice president. He put Harvest Missions Pastor Rick Schutte as his treasurer and secretary. The nonprofit’s tax returns were prepared by the same firm that Greg Laurie used for his independent ministry Harvest Crusades, which is also associated with — but officially separate from — the Riverside church.
Pastor Greg Laurie preaches at Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California. (Photo: Facebook)
Those connections between Havsgaard and Harvest were all severed suddenly in 2005. The tax preparer stopped working for Havsgaard’s ministry. The church address was removed from state and federal records. The two ministers left his board.
Havsgaard’s nonprofit board was completely reconstituted in 2006, state records show. One new board member was the local attorney who filed the legal paperwork.
The other was listed on a California Secretary of State form only as “Tony,” with no last name. Tax records filed in 2006 listed the name as “Anthony Annunciato.”
California businessman Anthony Annunziato — spelled with a z, not a c — told TRR he occasionally donated money to Havsgaard, covering electricity bills and other expenses to help make ends meet at the orphanages. He said he didn’t know why Havsgaard listed him as vice president of his nonprofit, misspelling his name in the process.
“It’s been 20 years, but I don’t remember being on his board,” Annunziato said. “I don’t know why I would have been on the board unless he put me down because he just needed someone.”
According to McAllister Olivarius, the hurried legal disentanglement can be explained by an audit of the orphanages.
In 2004, according to the 12 lawsuits filed to date, a trio of Calvary Chapel Association ministers investigated and found reports that Havsgaard had raped numerous Romanian boys he was supposedly taking care of. There was also evidence of financial irregularities, which were reportedly passed onto Calvary Chapel and Harvest leaders at the end of the year.
Greg Laurie, Rick Schutte, and Wes Denham did not respond to emails asking about the seemingly sudden decision to separate from Havsgaard’s nonprofit. Defense attorneys listed on federal court documents did not respond to requests for comment either.
Ann Olivarius, the London-based attorney who represents more than 20 men who claim Havsgaard brutally and repeatedly abused them, is convinced church leaders were busily looking the other way.
“They were fully aware what was going on,” Olivarius told TRR. “Our argument is that Greg Laurie was responsible for what was happening. He ran the show. That’s their model.”
No reports of ‘reasonable suspicion’
No one called law enforcement during all this, according to Riverside police records.
Havsgaard retained a legal residence in Riverside. He travelled back to California regularly, sometimes bringing Romanian boys with him to raise funds for the ministry, according to multiple sources. A 2003 law also made it a crime for an American citizen “to engage in illicit sexual conduct” outside the United States.
It’s possible that those who knew about allegations against Havsgaard did not contact police because the victims lived outside the U.S. But when Havsgaard moved back to Southern California in 2008, no one contacted police then either.
Paul Havsgaard (Photo: Court filing)
It’s unclear if the church leaders with alleged knowledge of Havsgaard’s abuse said anything privately to area ministers.
Mike Gann, founding pastor of another Riverside church, Calvary the Cross, hired Havsgaard as an assistant pastor when Havsgaard returned to the U.S. Gann declined to say whether anyone told him about allegations of sexual abuse.
“I don’t have any information regarding this situation,” he said in an email to TRR.
When TRR asked whether that meant he was left in the dark, Gann repeated, “As I said, I don’t have any information about this situation.”
Gann’s church was located less than 10 miles from Harvest and was part of the same Calvary Chapel Association of churches. Havsgaard worked there for at least three years, according to archived versions of the church’s website.
Havsgaard also led a Bible study at another Calvary Chapel church in Southern California. An online ad, obtained by McAllister Olivarius, announced Havsgaard’s adult class on the book of Nehemiah at The Packinghouse Church in the Redlands, about 20 miles from Harvest.
Packinghouse minister Ed Rae did not respond to an email or a phone message from TRR. Havsgaard, who is retired and lives in nearby Forest Falls, has not returned repeated phone calls either.
A secret settlement
If the allegations Havsgaard was a pedophile somehow slipped the attention of Harvest ministers in 2004, they were reminded in 2016. A law firm representing alleged victims contacted the church around that time, threatening to sue, according to people who worked at Harvest.
“We heard that something terrible had happened overseas,” one volunteer who later left the church told TRR. “It was something that you weren’t allowed to talk about. Everyone talked about it.”
The church decided to settle, according to multiple former staff members.
McAllister Olivarius declined to comment on whether it was involved in a settlement with Harvest.
Harvest did not respond to emailed questions either. But a September 2025 statement from Harvest accused McAllister Olivarius of “financial extortion” and noted the recent lawsuits were “only the latest demand.”
Legal settlements of sexual abuse allegations typically involve non-disclosure agreements. Many prohibit the parties involved from publicly discussing details, or even acknowledging there was a settlement.
Ministry home sponsored by Harvest Foundation that housed orphans in Buftea, Romania. (Photo via lawsuit filing)
Former staff at Harvest, who were not involved in top-level decisions regarding potential lawsuits, told TRR they learned of the secret settlement when the church suddenly faced a financial crisis.
“They spent so much money to make that lawyer go away, they laid off probably half of the staff,” one former employee said.
One of the people laid off was children’s minister Ray Narez, who was let go unexpectedly in January 2017. He first thought he had been fired because he had been too critical of Harvest leaders, including Laurie, he told TRR. Then he was informed the real reason was financial.
That explanation didn’t make any sense, Narez said. No one had mentioned any concerns about the budget before. He had seen how much the church spent on events and had even questioned what seemed, to him, like excessive spending.
“I was told, verbatim, ‘You don’t understand how things work,’” Narez, who no longer works in ministry, told TRR. “If there were meetings about the budget being a problem, I wasn’t a part of them.”
Later, he heard his layoff might have been connected to a legal settlement involving orphanages in Eastern Europe.
A number of the former employees have found themselves recently piecing together details about decisions the church made at that time. They wonder if church leaders thought about the fact that Havsgaard was still ministering in a Calvary church in 2016 and still had access to children.
Paul Havsgaard, pictured in the early 1980’s. (Photo: Court filing)
“They had to know,” one told TRR. “One hundred percent, they had to know.”
Why did no one go to police?
Another former employee recounted how the details of what he heard about the abuse kept him up at night, years later.
He wasn’t opposed to a legal and financial settlement, he told TRR. He didn’t think the church’s dirty laundry necessarily needed to be publicized. But he wondered if Havsgaard was continuing to abuse children in California.
And he wondered if anyone had gone to police.
The answer was no.
To read more, click here: https://julieroys.com/harvest-christian-fellowship-waited-20-years-to-call-police-about-suspected-pedophile-minister/
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Daniel Whyte III has been preaching the Gospel for over 46 years and is the founder and President of the over 42-year-old Gospel Light Evangelistic Society International, Pastor of the over 38-year-old Gospel Light House of Prayer International, and Founder, President, and Editor-in-Chief of the over 22-year-old Black Christian News One (BCNN1.com)—reaching millions with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, discipleship preaching, and the whole counsel of God around the world by any means necessary, “Crying in the wilderness,” and “Exiled on the Isle of Patmos.”.
Daniel Whyte III was honored by being named one of the 17 most notable alumni in the history of the 134-year-old Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth, Texas, and one of the 69 most notable alumni in the history of the 53-year-old Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Daniel Whyte III holds the following degrees from these universities:
- Doctor of Ministry (D.Min., in progress) – Liberty University John W. Rawlings School of Divinity, Lynchburg, VA
- Master of Theology (Th.M.) – Liberty University John W. Rawlings School of Divinity, Lynchburg, VA
- Master of Divinity (M.Div.) – Liberty University John W. Rawlings School of Divinity, Lynchburg, VA
- Bachelor of Arts in Religion (B.A.) – Texas Wesleyan University, Fort Worth, Texas
- Bachelor of Theological Studies – Bethany Divinity College and Seminary, Dothan, Alabama (Honors: Summa Cum Laude)
Daniel Whyte III was also honored to sit with presidents and world leaders by being invited by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association to attend the homegoing of Dr. Billy Graham.
He is the Essence national best-selling author of Letters to Young Black Men and the Amazon best-selling author of Letters to Young Black Women (African-American category). He has authored over 100 books.
He is also the founder, president, and editor-in-chief of the 20-year-old BlackChristianNews.com (BCNN1.com), which has impacted every denomination in the evangelical and Christian world and has influenced presidents, the U.S. government, governments around the world, and the public square. BlackChristianNews.com has been named the #1 Black Christian website and blog in the world for four years running by the independent Feedspot and is on the list of the top 60 Christian news sites in the world—red, yellow, black, or white.
He has preached the Gospel and the Word of God in person across America and in over 24 countries to thousands of people. He has preached the Gospel and the Word of God to millions of people around the world with the help of the internet, preaching live and on-demand multiple times a day for over eight years, to this very day. His mottoes are “Crying in the Wilderness,” “Exiled on the Isle of Patmos,” and “Preaching the Gospel by any means necessary,” all for the glory of God and Jesus Christ.
Daniel Whyte III is the president of the over-40-year-old Gospel Light Evangelistic Society International and the over-37-year-old Gospel Light House of Prayer International. He is known worldwide as the prophet who predicted the Coronavirus Plague over 10 years before it hit in recorded preaching and writing. God also led him to guide thousands through the Coronavirus Plague that killed over 20 million people because of the sins in the Judas-Laodicean church.
Daniel Whyte III’s greatest blessing in this life is his “quiver full” of 10 children—Daniella (Danni), Daniel IV, Danita Evangeline, Danae Mary-Louise, Daniqua Grace, Danyel Ezekiel, Danyelle Elizabeth Breedlove, Danielle Tekeela, Duran-Daniel, and the first Daniel IV (deceased and in heaven with the Lord)—along with grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Daniel Whyte III has been unblissfully but sexually satisfyingly married to his first and only wife, Meriqua Whyte of Christiana, Jamaica, for over 37 years since December 19, 1987. Jesus Christ said: “And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.” Even though many evangelicals, charismatics, and Protestants try to act as if these words of Jesus Christ are not a reality in our modern Christianity—primarily because of the Satanic-driven prosperity gospel and an over-positive philosophy, which is a lie not based in reality or biblical truth—the words of Jesus Christ are true for every person who preaches the Gospel. The outcomes of the Gospel are a changed life and opposition from family, lukewarm Christians, Laodicean-Judas pastors and churches, the world, and the devil. This is a reality in our present evil world.
While Daniel Whyte III thoroughly enjoys his married life because he did not allow his wife to have her way at any point and was and is solidly and biblically the head of his household throughout the marriage—often quoting Joshua, “As for me and my house, we’re going to serve the Lord” “up in here!”—and because his wife never failed in the very important area of sex, which he got married for in the first place to avoid sinning against God, he has especially enjoyed the privilege and joy of raising his children in the Lord virtually by himself. He served the Lord with them every day of their lives, from the time they were born until they graduated from college, became adults, and moved on.
However, his wife, Meriqua Whyte—motivated by Satan, with a Pharaoh-style pride mixed with the well-known female Jamaican-style pride, stubbornness, rebelliousness, and witchcraft—has been his greatest Judas enemy in the world and has been what Paul spoke of: a “messenger of Satan” and a “thorn in the flesh.” Amazingly, and by the grace of God, that Satanic evil opposition has spurred Daniel Whyte III on to preach the Gospel probably more times than any man on record. God has honored him because he did not “hearken to the voice of his wife.” Whyte tells other Christian men to only hearken to the voice of God and Jesus Christ—not to their wives, as so many thousands of church men have been taught by pastors and other older men throughout the years. Remember, we are in this worldwide, multi-generational mess because Adam hearkened to the voice of his wife and not to the voice of God.
Before they were married, Daniel Whyte III told his wife Meriqua Whyte that they would not do family life as her parents did, because their married life was hellacious and ended in divorce, as did some of her other family members, including the aunt she was living with. He also told his wife they would not do family life as his parents did, because it was also hellacious and out of order since his mother was the head of the household, not his father. But thanks be to God, they never got a divorce. Whyte told his wife before they got married that they were going to do it God’s way according to Ephesians chapters 5 and 6, or no way at all. And then he asked his wife, “Are you willing to do marriage God’s way according to Ephesians chapters 5 and 6?” And she said yes. Whyte told her before they got married that if she did not live up to her end of the deal, all bets were off.
Because Daniel Whyte III’s wife, Meriqua Whyte, was so proud, unsubmissive, stubborn, and rebellious after they got married, God led him to read Ephesians chapters 5 and 6 every day in their family devotions throughout their marriage. In the first year of their marriage, Daniel Whyte III also gave his wife a list of verses for women from the Word of God for her to read, which she still reads to this day. He also bought her many books to read to help her be the wife God wanted her to be.
Whyte realized early in the marriage that his wife was not a born-again, saved person even though she lied and said she was before they got married. After over 37 years of marriage, she is still not saved, never bearing any fruit of a saved person, to the point of not even wanting to tell her children, “I love you” and not wanting to hug them when they were little children, even after her husband told her to do so. She also hated the daily family devotions that her husband led and tried to hinder them. She also demonically hated and tried to hinder every Gospel preaching service to this very day.
However, only by the grace of God, they are still married, and despite the devil constantly working through his wife to try to hinder him from preaching the Word of God, he is still preaching the Gospel and the Word of God live and on-demand. His ministry reaches over 148,800 people per month with over 21,000 unique views per month, reaching 149 countries, preaching the Gospel and the Word of God in 2 to 3 services a day, 7 days a week. Glory be to God!
Mrs. Meriqua Whyte’s Apology to her Husband and Their 7 Children for not Being a Biblical Wife or Mother
Mrs. Meriqua Whyte, the Wife of Daniel Whyte III, Gave him the Best Father’s Day Gift Ever About 10 Years Ago When She Unexpectedly and Voluntarily Apologized for the First Time to Him and Their 7 Children for Not Being the Wife, Mother, and Christian Example of the Woman She Should Have Been Over the Past 37 Years of Marriage
Here is what Mrs. Meriqua Whyte wrote ten years ago after verbally apologizing to the entire family on Father’s Day, right before church service:
Over thirty years of marriage. Over thirty years of ups and downs. Over thirty years of trying to make our problems a personal thing between my husband and me. Thankfully, he did not allow me to do that and kept telling me it was between God and me—over thirty years of acting on my feelings and not on what the Bible says. Over thirty years of refusing to obey God’s simple command to a wife—to be obedient to your husband in all things. Over thirty years of disobedience, rebelliousness, stubbornness, lying, and dishonesty, all rooted in pride. Over thirty years of simply not choosing to mature as a Christian.
God has been dealing with me for over thirty years now about changing my attitude and behavior as a wife, which has manifested itself in disobedience, rebelliousness, stubbornness, lying, dishonesty, having an ungodly attitude and spirit, and simply not being the wife, mother, or example of a Christian woman that I should have been throughout the years. (By the way, for those of you who may be thinking that my disobedience, rebelliousness, stubbornness, lying, and dishonesty have resulted in adultery, I will say here that I have never committed any adultery or had sex with another man besides my husband, Daniel Whyte III, since I was born.)
God kept telling me I needed to stop my rebellious and stubborn behavior, apologize to my husband and children, and get my heart right with him, my husband, and my children. He sent others my way to tell me how to behave:
- My husband, but I didn’t want to hear it from him
- Other Christian women speakers
- Other preachers
- Books and other materials, but I would not take heed
I knew what to do, but I chose not to do it. The devil had me thinking and believing—as he is having a lot of wives and mothers think and believe—that your relationship with your husband and how you respond to him, whether positive or negative, will not affect your relationship with your children or your relationship with God. I say without hesitation that this is one of the devil’s lies, and sad to say, many wives and mothers are falling for this lie.
Another lie of the devil that Christian wives are falling for is that you can still have a strong relationship with God without being submissive to your husband. Lie! Lie! Lie! There is no truth to this. I know because I have experienced this and am still experiencing this as I am going through this breaking process, which is not happening overnight.
Even throughout my years of rebelliousness, stubbornness, and pride, I still kept praying the prayer I used to pray daily before I got married: “Lord, make me be exactly what You want me to be. Lord, break, make, and mold me into what you want me to be.” Well, God took that prayer seriously, and once you accept Him, He will begin the breaking process. It’s up to us how long that breaking process will take. For me, sad to say, it has taken over 30 years, and the breaking is not complete. In what way is God breaking me down right now? Well, our children have grown up. The three oldest have gone through and are still going through college, have gotten their degrees, and some are working on their second, third, and fourth degrees, launching their careers and moving out. God slapped me into reality and truly intensified the breaking process. My husband told me before our first child was born and repeatedly while the children were young that my job was to love our children and make positive memories with them and that if I did that, I would have a wonderful relationship with them as adults in the time to come. Well, I disobeyed God and my husband, who did not let up on his duties. And he has a wonderful relationship with our children, even the girls, and I don’t. However, God led me to finally break the day before Father’s Day, and while I was helping my husband get dressed to preach, I asked him if I could apologize to him and the entire family. That’s the first time I ever did that on my own. Throughout the years, he has always told me that I needed to get my heart right with God, him, and my children; otherwise, I would never have the joy and peace of the Lord in my life. However, I kept on lying and denying that I was the problem.
Here is what I said to my husband and children on Saturday afternoon, June 17, 2017, the day before Father’s Day. My husband told the entire family that this was the best Father’s Day gift I have ever given to him:
“Daddy, children, I apologize for not being the wife, mother, and example of a Christian woman I should have been throughout the years. I have shown nothing but pride, disobedience, rebelliousness, stubbornness, and a bad attitude and spirit toward God and my husband in front of you. My disobedience and rebelliousness have caused much unnecessary unrest and upheaval in the family. As my husband told me, things could have gone much better if I had obeyed God’s word from the beginning. Please accept my apology, and I am asking you to forgive me.”
The diminishing of peace and joy in my life throughout the years I brought on myself. Not having a proper relationship with God, my husband, and my children, I brought on myself—all because I chose the disobedient route. My number one desire is to live a life of peace—peace with God, my husband, and my children. I have learned that peace will not come as long as I live in disobedience, rebelliousness, stubbornness, and pride.
I will end this with two notes: (1) Happy Father’s Day to my husband: you have been a great husband and father. (2) Happy Children’s Day to my children: You all have been great children. I have no complaints whatsoever against my husband and, of course, children; you have never been at fault. My bad behavior is all on me, and I’m sorry I put you through this. May God bless your lives, and I love you.
Ephesians 5:22 – 6:20 (KJV)
Below is the passage in the Bible that Daniel Whyte III read in their family devotions every day for decades. It covers the biblical duties of the husband, the wife, and the children, and includes how to fight against the devil who is seeking to destroy the family.
22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
6 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
2 Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;
3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.
9 And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
The Gospel in a Nutshell
If you were to die today, where would you go: Heaven or Hell? If you’re not sure, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.”
Jesus Christ said the most important words ever spoken in the history of the world when He said, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
Read further right here:
The Most Important Question in the World: Have You Been Twice Born?
This is the “Chief of sinners,” Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International, with the Gospel Light Minute X Podcast #447, titled, “The Big Question.” I’m here to remind you of what the Bible says: that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” like you and me.
“Have You Been Born Again?”
The question is not, “Have you joined a church?” or “Are you trying to do your best?” or “Do you have religion?” but, “Are you twice-born?” Jesus Christ said in John 3:3, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
We enter the physical world by birth. Spiritual life, likewise, is entered with a birth. We become members of a human family by birth; we become members of the family of God by birth, by being “born again.” There is no other way to get into the human family except by birth, and there is no other way to get into God’s family except by the new birth. Neither education, nor cultivation, nor reformation, nor “turning over a new leaf,” will accomplish this. What is needed is not a new “leaf” but a new “life”! “Ye must be born again” (John 3:7).
A New Nature Needed
By physical birth, we become partakers of human nature; by being born again, we become “partakers of the divine nature.” A Christian is the product of a divine “begetting.” The second birth is not an improvement of the old nature; it is the imparting of an entirely new nature. The old nature is hopelessly corrupt and incapable of ever being made fit for His presence. The new birth requires a creative act of the Holy Spirit. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.”
Not “Trying” But “Trusting”
“Trying to follow Christ” is not Christianity. Christianity is not imitation of Christ; it is the indwelling of Christ. Christianity is not trying to do anything. It is trusting Christ, who has done it all! He has “finished the work,” and there is nothing left to do but simply to receive and trust Him. He shed His precious blood on the cross, and the work is all done once and forever! Cease trying and begin trusting! Believers will progressively become more and more like Christ, but by His power, not their own.
What Must I Do To Be Saved?
Simply “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.” The Bible says in 1 John 5:1, “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.” The Bible states in John 1:12-13, “As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
You are born again, you become a Christian by trusting a Person—receiving a Person. The very moment you do this, the Lord Jesus Christ comes in and life begins!
What Is Meant By “Believe”?
To “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” means more than simply believing the historic facts concerning Him. Intellectual belief about Christ is not sufficient. The belief that brings salvation must be “with the heart,” that is, with the whole being. This belief also includes repentance: “Repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” The Bible states in Acts 17:30, “God… now commandeth all men everywhere to repent.”
The faith which saves, then, includes the necessity to repent and to receive Christ as Savior and Lord, to rest upon Him alone for salvation. It means to trust Him so utterly and completely that, if He should fail, there would be no hope at all!
May I Know That I Am Born Again?
This is an important question. We know that we are born again by the testimony of God’s Word. God says in John 5:24, “He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” Have you believed on the Lord Jesus Christ as explained by God’s Word? If so, then you are saved, you are “born again,” you have “passed from death unto life.” God says so! Take God at His Word, and go on your way rejoicing!
One Final Word
You may “belong to a church,” you may be “trying to do the best you can,” you may be “striving to live right.” Your outward life may be the model of moral correctness, and you may be looked up to, honored, revered, and respected. Yet, if you have not been “born again,” you are just as lost as if you had never heard of Christ. Yes, you may teach in the Sunday school, read the Bible, sing, shout, “feel happy,” and all the rest—but if you have never been “born again,” you are still in your sins and a stranger to the Lord Jesus Christ.
If you want to be saved from the wrath to come and from an eternity in Hell, and if you believe that Jesus Christ suffered, bled, and died on the cross for your sins, was buried, and rose again from the dead, and you are willing to trust Jesus Christ with all of your heart so you can go to Heaven, please pray with me what is called the sinner’s prayer:
Holy Father God, I acknowledge that I am a sinner and I admit that I have sinned against You and that I have broken Your Ten Commandments. I have lied before. I have stolen things before. I have lusted after people and things before. I have dishonored and disobeyed my parents. I have taken Your holy Name in vain. For Jesus Christ’s sake, please have mercy and grace upon my soul and forgive me of all of my sins, my failures, and my faults. As I now believe in Your Holy Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe that He suffered, bled, and died on the cross for my sins, was buried, and rose again. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and help me to repent of my sins past. Help me to turn from my old, evil life and follow You in the new life. For it is in Your Name I pray. Amen.
