Christian Alliance For Orphans Interviews (Part 3) - Bishop W.C. Martin

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Christian Alliance For Orphans Interviews (Part 3) - Bishop W.C. Martin

FamilyLife Today® Radio Transcript

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The Miracle from Possum Trot

Guest: W. C. Martin

From the series: The Miracle from Possum Trot (Day 1 of 1)

Bob: When the bishop at Bennett Chapel Baptist Church in Possum Trot, Texas, W.C. Martin and his wife Donna, decided they were going to adopt some children from the foster care system, they had no idea what was about to happen in their little town.

W.C.: We don’t have any Ph.D. folks at our church that can map out this and show you how to do that. We don’t have that. But what we do have was just pure love that we can give a child. We just do the Word—like you just said, being a doer of the Word. This ain’t about having a meeting to see if we want to do this. We just did the Word and gave God the GLORY for doing it! [Applause]

Bob: This is a special edition of FamilyLife Today for Friday, November 25th. This program was recorded in front of a live studio audience. You’ll hear our conversation today with W.C. Martin, and hear how revival almost broke out in the middle of the interview. Stay with us.

1:00

[Recorded Message]

And welcome to FamilyLife Today. Thanks for joining us. Once again, we have got a wonderful live studio audience with us. We are here at the Christian Alliance for Orphans Summit IX! [Applause]

Yes! [Laughter] And as I was thinking about what we’re going to talk about today, I was thinking about one of your favorite quotes from Billy Graham. Do you know the quote I’m talking about?

Dennis: I do. He said: “Courage is contagious. When one man takes a stand, the spines of others are stiffened.” We’re going to hear a story today about a man and his wife who took a courageous stand on behalf of the orphan, and took God at His Word. I was reminded of this—a lot of Christians live their entire Christian faith out and never step out and never take this verse and the promise of what it means.

2:00

Listen to this—Ephesians, Chapter 3, verse 20: “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen.”

I think one of the great challenges for us, in this day, is looking around at a culture that has a target-rich environment for us to be salt and light in this world but, especially, as we address the needs of orphans. Taking on the issue of foster care and adoption, we need to be men and women, young men and women, boys and girls of faith, who take God at His Word and expect great things from Him.

Bob: We’re going to meet somebody today who caused the spines of others to stiffen by the courageous step he took. It’s a story that has been told on Oprah, and the Today Show, and just about everywhere—

3:00

—not just here in the United States—but internationally. We want you to join us and welcome to the stage Bishop W.C. Martin. Would you welcome him? [Applause]

Dennis: Welcome to FamilyLife Today, Bishop. You and your wife Donna have been married for 35 years.

W.C.: Yes.

Dennis: You have six children, four of whom are adopted. Apart from that being the claim to your fame—I know that’s number one, there, and your love for Christ—you are the bishop of Bennett Chapel in Possum Trot, Texas.

W.C.: On the other side of Coonville.

Bob: Known as what?—South Coonville?

W.C.: On the other side of Coonville. [Laughter]

Dennis: This goes back to 1996. Take us back to how this all started in Possum Trot.

W.C.: Well, my wife’s mother passed.

4:00

She had one of those community-type mothers—everybody coming to her house, and eat, and play, and everything. She had 18 brothers and sisters of them.

Bob: Eighteen.

W.C.: Yes, 18. On the passing of her mother, she said one morning, “Lord, if You can’t take this burden from the loss of my mother, just let me die.” The Lord just spoke and said, “Give back.” God told us to adopt—foster and adopt. The whole thing started right there. We went to class. We had to take 12 weeks of Pride classes in Texas.

Dennis: Let me just stop you for a second, though. This starts a lot of times—adoption—with our wives speaking into our hearts.

W.C.: Yes.

Dennis: A lot of us, as men, kind of get dragged into this. You had some fears.

W.C.: I sure did.

Dennis: You had some concerns.

W.C.: I sure did; because she had kind of told me some other things and didn’t follow through with it; you know?

Bob: Ahhh. [Laughter]

5:00

W.C.: I said, “Here goes another one of them.” [Laughter]

Dennis: “Can this marriage be saved?” I understand! [Laughter]

W.C.: I said, “Here goes another one of them hair-brained ideas you’re coming up with!” [Laughter]

Dennis: I just want to remind you this is live radio, and Donna will be listening.

W.C.: Oh! [Laughter]

Bob: I just want to find out from the audience: “How many of you had husbands who said, ‘Here goes another one of her hair-brained ideas’?” Raise your hand. There are a lot of hands up here; yes!

W.C.: Well, good thing I’m not the only little boy on the block! [Laughter]

Dennis: So what eventually won you over?

W.C...