Each year we like to celebrate our volunteers who have reached the 10-year mark of serving by sharing a bit about them with the entire team. I’ve asked them to share a little blurb with things about themselves, how they got started with Got Questions, what has kept them serving, and/or a favorite Got Questions story. Whether you’ve served with us for a few weeks or many years, likely something in their stories will resonate with you. Enjoy!
Kathy Martel (February):
Ten years ago, I had been talking online with Catholics for 6—7 years after we left the Catholic faith. I focused especially on grace versus works for salvation, and that relationship with God and the Holy Spirit should be a personal experience. Each day, there would typically be over 1,000 views on what I would post there. In the last year of this, they built an “Apologetics” room for me, and would only let the most experienced Catholics talk with me because they said I was confusing Catholics on the website. I realized these senior Catholics had made up their mind to believe the Catholic Magisterium and our conversations would only go in futile circles. I prayed to the Lord that He would bring me to those who had genuine questions that I could help with and make a difference. That VERY day, God brought me to Got Questions website, when searching for biblical texts on a certain topic. It was such a blessing to me that God was so personal and quick in answering my prayer! It’s hard to find people in everyday life that will engage us with real spiritual questions that are important to them, so I feel God brings them right to me through this ministry. I really enjoy helping someone get a perspective or help them understand the meaning of Scripture and the way to salvation. When I was a very young girl in my Baptist church, I remember thinking about the Pastor “He really knows and understands what the Bible means, and I wish I could too.” That was my heart then, and God blessed me with wanting to help others understand it too. I definitely hope to help in this ministry forever, even if my part only makes a small difference. Thank you so much!
Doug Andre (May):
I can’t believe that it has been 10 years of ministry with Got Questions! The years have gone by so quickly and I have learned so much from the many questions that I have received. I am honored to serve with so many gifted and dedicated people for the cause of Christ and the advancement of the gospel.
My journey with Got Questions began with an invitation from a brother in Christ at church. At the time, I was writing some things down on Word Press; answering some questions that fellow believers had been asking. From those writings my friend saw something in me and made the invitation. Over the years it has been a challenging but rewarding experience that has brought about humility and growth in my walk with Christ. When I first started writing for GQ I was still a relatively new Christian who quickly realized that I had bitten off more than I could chew. But God helped me through all of the assignments, all the while, teaching me and equipping me for effective ministry locally and abroad. I would be remiss if I did not say that there have been times that I wanted to stop writing. Thank the Lord for wives who encourage us to “stay the course” and I am eternally grateful to mine.
Over the years I have written on many topics and while I don’t have a “favorite” question / answer I am amazed at some of the questions that I have received. One such question that comes to mind is; Does Jesus have DNA from his heavenly Father? On this particular question it is not the question per se that is amazing but that a person actually spent time thinking about this. I’m sure that many of you writers upon receiving a question have thought, “Of the questions a person could ask, you ask us about this?” And yet, we respond in a thoughtful and loving way and God is glorified.
Thank you Got Questions for the opportunity to serve in this wonderful ministry!
Dean Revell (July):
I guess, what with my own wife (Clare Revell) being an author for a Christian publishing company in the US and already having over 40 books published, I wanted to contribute to sharing God’s truth in my own way – but perhaps both practically and evangelically. I came across the Got Questions web site as I was looking for an avenue in which to do these things; I felt that it was an avenue through which, by God’s grace, I could give in so many ways – indeed, through this ministry, it has allowed me to discover gifts that I wasn’t really aware of – which has made me a lot more confident and enabled me to express myself better. Even simple counselling and just being a listening ear to those who are struggling with mental illness, like depression, I think has been a blessing both to myself and to the respondee. Having suffered from mental illness, especially, I have repeatedly found myself trying to deal with and help those who are hurting for their own failures and pain and don’t really have anywhere else to turn to – some seem so sadly desperate in their situations, and it is a real joy and privilege to point these folk to the word of God and to the promises that are contained, which in my own experience have always proved themselves time and time again. People ask for healing and I believe the Lord will always provide this but not always miraculously! Some people can be quite negative and feel disillusioned about their faith – a lot of people seem to be so worried that they do not ‘cut the mustard’ in their personal walk with the Lord; they perform all these religious duties but never have any real assurance, because they are hinging their faith and reliance on these things. Back to the cross, my beloved, and there is where your salvation is found – it’s a ‘finished’ work (Salvation is of the Lord (Jonah 2:9))!
I have had lots of topical enquiries based in my own area, as I am a molecular biologist, so being a young earth creationist allows me to point enquirers to the Bible once again, primarily to Genesis 1 and 2 as well as some very good external references, such as www.icr.org). My aim is to show folk that evolution is still only a theory and NOT a dogma; the Bible has some very reasonable explanations but sometimes it doesn’t and that’s where faith comes in. So, this has enlightened my own understanding of things as I research for the answers – I don’t think I have yet refused to answer a question because it was out of my remit; I always have a go!
I would definitely encourage anybody reading this who has not yet joined Got Questions in this capacity, to do so. It certainly keeps you studying and searching the word of God – reminding oneself of the meanings and contexts of various passages; what’s truly amazing is how the Holy Spirit seems to always bring a verse or portion of scripture to mind just as I start to work out in my mind how I am going to answer a question. I could never do this alone without the Lord’s help and it’s my prayer, as always, that His word will not return to Him void (Isaiah 55:10), for which we must all ascribe Him the glory! I don’t think we will always see the fruit of our labours for the Lord in this life but there will be undoubtedly plenty of pleasant surprises in the glory to come.
Heath Tibbetts (August):
Ten years ago I was a young, first-time pastor. While researching a question for my sermon, I stumbled across GotQuestions. Never before had I seen such biblically-based content, referencing scripture repeatedly while answering the point. The more answers I read, the more convinced I became this was a unique resource. After a couple visits, I noticed the request link for volunteers, and was approved as a writer.
Over the last ten years, I’ve become significantly busier in ministry. While that busyness has required some activities to be cut, my weekly questions through the kids, youth, and adult website have never been on the chopping block for me. They are a great opportunity to keep my finger on the questions people are asking, while sharpening my knowledge of scripture and application.
Receiving questions on evolution and creation are my favorite, allowing believers to see there is great scientific evidence to support the biblical view of origins and to embolden these teens and adults in the face of intellectual pressure to conform. To assure people of their purposeful creation is a tremendous encouragement to me.
Matt Long (November):
My name is Matt Long. My family and I live in Greensboro, NC. I am an ordained Southern Baptist Pastor with a Doctorate of Education from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. My wife and I have been married for 18 years and we have 6 wonderful children. Our most recent addition we adopted internationally from Armenia. It was such a blessing for us to travel to Armenia and actually walk in the shadow of Mt. Ararat every day.
I began writing for Got Questions shortly after finding the website for the first time. I was looking for opportunities to write and to have an impact for the Lord and Got Questions was the perfect outlet for both. I’ve stayed engaged mainly because I have been blessed by answering questions, as much or more so, as those I have been answering them for. I have truly enjoyed my time with this ministry as well as seeing the ministry grow and develop over the years.
I also recently began helping with the BibleRef.com ministry by writing the commentary for the book of Proverbs. That too has been a blessing and a challenge.
I think my favorite question had to be one I received on Galatians 4:26. The questioner was asking what exactly is the mother of us all? I drew out an analogy between grace and freedom which has stuck with me all these years. Someday I might get back to writing more about that concept.
Coincidentally, my first assigned question was # 81386 and my most recently assigned question was 552214. Can’t wait until we hit 1000000!
Trudy VanderVeen (December):
I began writing for GotQuestions ten years ago when I sent in a question about whether Queen Vashti was wrong in refusing to attend her husband’s banquet! This was not a very pressing question—but it resulted in my becoming a GotQ writer, and I have never considered giving up this fulfilling ministry. In fact, in writing an answer to one question a week for these ten years I would be hard-pressed to say whether the challenge, the research (and subsequent learning), or the deep joy and satisfaction of writing on biblical themes have affected my life the most. Surely all three have been a life-enhancing blessing.
To comfort an aching heart, to enlighten a confused mind, to strengthen a weak will, to steady a wavering faith, to guide a seeking soul—all this I have been privileged to do for people of all ages and from many countries.
Along with those efforts, I also have had the opportunity of commending the questioners who share in their letters how they are serving the Lord and growing in their faith.
Receiving questions from Christians who live in both near-by and far-away locales makes me rejoice over the way God’s world-wide kingdom has been and is being established.
Perhaps because I am a “senior citizen” I take extraordinary care in answering questions from young people—almost taking the role of a “grandmother” in my response to their questions. In fact, I try to look into the heart of each questioner, hoping that my answer will be not only appropriate but also compassionate, while at the same time keeping biblical truth front and center in all that I write.
I smiled at a response from one person’s follow-up question in which he said: “At last—this is an answer which makes good sense while also being scripturally sound!” I hope all of my answers qualify for that praise!
Earlier this year a young woman named Beryl wrote, “Thank you for taking out the time to read my mail, who knows, i may have been the 1 millionth person waiting in line, but God saw me through you that i needed this, i needed love and your response gave me all that and more…hope. . . . ” To awaken HOPE in this questioner’s heart put joy in mine! These words and others like them make all the time and effort spent on this ministry worthwhile.
I have a great love for hymns and rhyming poems, and occasionally I include some of them to enhance my answers. Rarely I include some of my own poetry!
I consider writing for GotQuestions my highest priority in a fairly long list of priorities. I’m so very grateful for the opportunity and am eager to continue this ministry as long as the Lord permits.
Many thanks to the editors and all the staff in Colorado Springs for your encouragement and kindness!
Also celebrating is Daniel Pasono (August)
We so love the way God uses this ministry to bless those who serve Him through it. We pray that you will each be encouraged by knowing that, even if it feels like something small, you truly are making a difference in people’s lives, for the glory of God, and you aren’t in this alone.
