JUPITER FARMS, FLORIDA – As they wrapped up their profound and Christ-honoring Missions Month 2025, Beacon Baptist Church welcomed Scott and Melissa Whiting, missionaries on deputation to Rwanda.

The Whiting’s have been in Jacksonville, Florida for the last five years. They have three children – Eleanor (5), William (3), and their baby son who is one. As Scott addressed the congregation during the Sunday School hour on October 26, he began with this profound statement, “There is no human reason why we deserve to be up here more than anyone else. We’re not anything special. We are just people who are surrendered to the Lord, and God can use people who are surrendered. There is nothing special about us humanly speaking.”

Both Scott and Melissa were raised in Washington State. They did not meet until they were adults, even though they lived just a town apart from each other. Neither of them come from a pastor’s or a missionary’s home – making their call to the mission field all the more remarkable. Scott was raised in a non-denominational Christian home, and he was led to the Lord by his mother when he was seven years old.

Melissa, on the other hand, came to Christ as a teenager, and did not have Christian parents. In fact, she was raised by her grandparents who were non-church attenders. Additionally their were Catholic and Mormon influences in her life. Thankfully though, a Christian friend of her grandmother invited Melissa to church camp where she received salvation and afterward she began attending that church.

Scott joined the Marine Corp after high school, as he still sought direction in his life. Unfortunately, it was in those years that Scott was the furthest from the Lord he had every been. He stopped attending church and focused on his military friendships, even though they were not godly people. In fact, as Scott explained, he became just like them. He told himself that God knew he loved Him, but he couldn’t be the “weirdo in the barracks who didn’t have any friends.” This, of course, proved untrue as he has since met many Christians who have served in the military and still faithfully loved the Lord.

After the Marines, Scott returned home and went to community college where he met Melissa, his future wife. Shortly thereafter, they moved to New York City to take advantage of the GI Bill and its associated educational and housing stipends. During this time, they began attending another non-denominational church. It was here that God brought a deep conviction that Scott should begin to study the Bible. Up until then, though he had claimed to love God and believed the Bible to be His inspired Word, he really didn’t know anything about it.

As he and Melissa started to study, they quickly began to grow, and that growth brought new convictions about the church they had been a part of for over two years. Though the church was non-denominational, it had strong charismatic leanings and might have been better called an Assembly of God Church. As Scott explained, “They would have various ‘prophets’ come into the church and they would ‘prophesy.’ They would just do these things, but when you compared it to what the Bible says, it was not biblical. [The prophets were] just reading the room and giving a vague enough prophecy that it could apply to anybody so that if you wanted to believe them, you would.”

It was incidents like this that convicted the Whitings that they needed to get out of that church. After their departure, the Lord led them to a small Independent Baptist Church in New York City called Heritage Baptist Church. The Whiting’s loved that church and did not want to leave. As Scott put it, “For the first time, it felt like we were doing what we were supposed to be doing.”

Unfortunately, with the onset of the Covid-19 Pandemic, the Whiting’s were compelled to leave New York City. Additionally, they knew they did not want to raise a family there, so with the birth of their first child in March of 2020, they decided to move. At first, they looked in the areas surrounding the city, because they did not want to leave their church. They were even willing to commute 50 miles just to continue attending there. However, the Lord closed every door they had to remain close to the city and Heritage Baptist.

Ultimately, the Lord gave them peace about and called them to Jacksonville, Florida. Both the Covid politics of the day and the fact that Scott could transfer his job to the Jacksonville office made Northern Florida an ideal choice, so they relocated in early 2021. They quickly put down roots, bought a home, and even had their second child. They were content to stay in Jacksonville forever, and even joined West Jacksonville Baptist Church in 2022. Then, as He so often does, the Lord burdened the Whitings to do even more for Him. The conviction and the call was simple – missions.

They consulted with their pastor who was very supportive of their call to the mission field. However, he gave them a challenge here at home first – restart the bus ministry. They worked in that ministry for all of 2024 as well as attending Crown College to get some Bible training. They sold their house, and then in September 2025 they began the deputation process to head to the mission field in Rwanda. The Whitings anticipate around another 18 or so months of the deputation process, but they are praying to get to Rwanda as soon as they can.

Rwanda is an East African country roughly the same size as Massachusetts. It is known as “The Land of a Thousand Hills.” It is also, unfortunately, more infamous for the devastating genocide that occurred there in 1994. Between April and July that year, more than one million people were slaughtered by a Rwandan native group called the Hutus. This systematic mass murder was directed specifically at one group, the Tutsis, who had historically dominated the Hutus. Tens of thousands of Rwandan children were left as orphans. Countless women were left as widows, and the weaponization of AIDS killed many more in the years to follow. Rwanda was considered a failed state by the end of the genocide.

Now, over three decades later, Rwanda desires to be known for its clean streets, paved roads, and safe cities. The country has shown a remarkable recovery from the wickedness that nearly destroyed it. Even so, the need of the Gospel remains prevalent. Most of the population is young, the remnants of all the families that were destroyed during the genocide. Rwandans are kind, but reserved. Because of all the horror they have faced, the ability to trust strangers is not a quality that comes easily. This mistrust extends even into the government, which has placed harsh restrictions on religion, resulting in the closing of many houses of worship. In 2024 alone, 9,800 churches were shuttered.

The Whiting’s had the opportunity to visit the country in May 2025 on a survey trip. During that experience, they learned there were no Independent Baptist Churches at all in the country, and even more there are no Independent Baptist missionaries in the country. These things being true, the people of Rwanda have very little hope of ever hearing the Gospel that can save them. Due to the general distrust, the Whitings anticipate great difficulty in getting a foothold in Rwanda. However, as Scott put it, “The only alternative is to let these people die with no hope and no knowledge of the love of Christ.”

Rwanda is the most densely populated country in the mainland of Africa. Even with its limited size in general and then livable area being reduced even more by all the mountains, Rwanda has 14 million people living in it. Scott explained that as Westerners it will be easy for them to get into the country. Rwandans are friendly toward Westerners and see them as a boost to their global profile. They see them as a way to grow their country and economy. Even so, the difficulty of starting a church there remains extreme. One requirement is to have 1,000 signatures from the people in the community where you want to start a church. A second requirement is you must have a church building upfront, and it must meet strict building codes.

The Whitings have a tough road ahead of them, and will likely begin with some sort of non-profit activity. They will absolutely need as much prayer as they can get. Though the violence has ended, it is clear old feelings still simmer beneath the surface. This is something only the love of Christ can heal and bring to a final end.

Beacon Baptist Church’s Missions Month 2025 was truly remarkable. Getting to hear the testimonies and stories of four missionary families across the month was both inspiring and convicting. Though not all of us are called to the foreign mission field, every believer is called to be on mission for the Gospel. As it is written:

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Matthew 28:19-20 KJV

Though they are not specifically affiliated with Beacon Baptist Church, if you have any interest in missions, the staff of The Believer’s Byline highly recommends that you check out the many opportunities available through The Evangelical Alliance Mission (TEAM) at team.org. May the Lord walk with and provide for all those who seek to serve Him on the foreign mission field.