The Morgan Hill Bible Church at 15055 Monterey Hwy. welcomed an
addition to its clergy staff in August. He is the Rev. David
Whitaker, who accepted the new position of Teaching Pastor.
Whitaker is a Bay Area native whose father was the founding pastor
of a church in the Dublin-Pleasanton area.
The Morgan Hill Bible Church at 15055 Monterey Hwy. welcomed an addition to its clergy staff in August. He is the Rev. David Whitaker, who accepted the new position of Teaching Pastor. Whitaker is a Bay Area native whose father was the founding pastor of a church in the Dublin-Pleasanton area. Growing up as a “preacher’s kid,” he felt a call to the ministry and went away to college at South Carolina’s Bob Jones University, receiving both undergraduate and seminary degrees there. After graduating, he was ordained to the ministry in 1984. In 2000 he received a Doctor of Sacred Ministry degree from Northland Baptist Bible College.
Whitaker returned to the East Bay when the First Baptist Church of San Ramon called him as associate pastor, a position he held for seven years. Then followed a stint as pastor of Heart to Heart Bible Church in Phoenix, Ariz. A conservative congregation of some 600 members, the church had reached a point where it was in need of a change in focus. When Pastor Whitaker arrived, he led the congregation in reaching out to the community, transitioning to a more relevant type of ministry.
Merging with another church and changing names to Moon Valley Bible Church symbolized a new beginning; Whitaker led the congregation to a “less legalistic” approach to Christianity and taught that “God’s call is to have a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ. Christianity isn’t about rules.”
He made it his mission to “teach the Bible in as practical, relevant a way as I could, helping people understand God’s word and making applications to their own lives.”
While faithfully serving his congregation, Rev. Whitaker felt a desire to return to the Bay Area, “keeping my ears open for possibilities.” In May he was contacted by Morgan Hill Bible Church about joining their new leadership team. When Rev. Charlie Youngkin left after 21 years for a church in Southern California, church leaders decided to institute a team of pastors, each specializing in an area of ministry. On Aug. 1, Whitaker became the church’s Teaching Pastor, responsible for the bulk of Sunday sermons.
Whitaker describes his teaching as “expository/topical,” explaining the clear meaning of the Bible. He uses modern media like videos and Powerpoint presentations to “connect the disconnected” to a vital relationship with Jesus Christ.
Whitaker’s family moved to Morgan Hill with him. His wife, Lanette, “is a great ministry partner who is gifted in teaching and mentoring women.” She comes from a family of ministers, growing up in a bi-lingual ministry in Phoenix, and hopes to help Morgan Hill Bible Church start a bilingual ministry. Their son, Jonathan, is a sophomore at Arizona State University, and their daughter, Kaylan, an eighth grader at Pacific West Academy.
David Whitaker is glad to be back in the Bay Area and enjoys the South County. “People have been very open and embracing of us,” he says. He likes the small-town feel when he runs into people he knows around town, but also enjoys having access to the cultural attractions of communities to the north.
Sunday morning services at Morgan Hill Bible Church are at 9am and 10:45am, with a variety of other worship services and activities throughout the week. For more information, visit the church’s Web site at www.mhbible.org or call (408) 778-5083.
