Article by Derek Murphy

This week we added a member to our team. Mike Whitford has joined the ICPA staff part-time to represent our churches and church plants in Oregon and Washington and will also assist in coaching and church strategy.

Mike studied at Puget Sound Christian College, San Jose Christian College, Cincinnati Bible University, and Hope University. Mike brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from his 40 years in vocational ministry. Mike has worked in positions in Youth, Worship, Associate, and Senior Ministries in small, medium, and large churches, including two ICPA church plants, Eagle Christian Church and Canyon Springs Christian Church. In his tenure at Canyon Springs, the church saw significant growth before handing it off to the next generation of leader.

Mike is passionate about evangelism, strategies for church growth, discipleship, and teaching Christ-followers to share their faith in Jesus effectively. Mike and his wife Cindy have been married for 42 years. They are enjoying serving as volunteers at Baker City Christian Church, where their son Jesse Whitford is the lead pastor. Mike and Cindy live in Richland, OR and love being involved in the lives of their children and grandchildren, and getting into the outdoors of Eastern Oregon and Idaho as much as possible.

Having Mike represent the ICPA in this area reaches back in our 50 years as an association when the ICPA launched as a ministry of multiple churches under the name ORE/IDA Christian Evangelistic Association, standing for its representation in Oregon and Idaho. Over the life of our association, we have received support from churches in eastern Oregon and planted Sunrise Christian Church (1982). In the past 20 years, we have seen new churches planted in eastern Washington as well, with Valley Real Life (2003) and Real Life on the Palouse (2007) which opened a campus in Pullman Washington, becoming independent as Real Life Church Pullman (2020).

We are excited to partner with Mike and look forward to seeing how God blesses our churches and new church plants through his investment. Mike has been reflecting on his 40 years in vocational ministry and has some thoughts on what real “success” in ministry looks like, which he will be sharing with us in time to come.