Few of you have ever met the man in this article. His name is Nolan Wike. I have known Nolan for the past 20 years. By trade, Nolan is a firewall expert in the computer field. In ministry, he was part of First Platoon when the purity ministry began in 2002. He is a member of The Grove Church in Maple Grove, MN and serves on the tech team on Sundays and for special events. He also volunteers to provide tech support for several theater groups in the Twin Cities.

Nolan was a sergeant for a number of years leading purity platoons as well as the tech master for the National Coalition For Purity. Nolan and I traveled to churches all across Minnesota helping churches to launch Battles for their men. Finally, Nolan served on the board of the National Coalition For Purity for 3 years and presided over the dissolution of the ministry in 2015 as board chairman.

The reason I’m focusing on Nolan in this article is that I’ve never met a more faithful man in my life. He has taught me how to be faithful in my own life. As the saying goes, “if you looked up the definition of faithfulness in the dictionary you’d find Nolan’s picture next to it.” What does faithfulness look like in Nolan’s life? Here are some of my observations.

1. Nolan ALWAYS keeps his word. If I ask Nolan to do something and he agrees to do it, I do not have to think about it again. It will be done. If he agrees to attend an event he is on time and usually early.
2. Nolan ALWAYS gives you his best effort. As my Jewish dad used to say, “no schlocky stuff.” Nolan does not do schlocky stuff! He and I once facilitated a purity event at a church in the south metro of Minneapolis. Since we had to return to the church at 6:00 a.m. and we were quite a distance from home, we felt it best to simply get a hotel room and spend the night. Nolan had compatibility issues between our dedicated laptop and the church’s projection system. While I slept like a baby, Nolan stayed up until 2:00 a.m. working on a solution to the problem! He got it figured out and the tech support for the battle came off without a hitch. No schlocky stuff!
3. Nolan ALWAYS speaks truth. You may not like what he says but he will always tell you the straight scoop with a good attitude. As chairman of the board of NCFP in its last year of operation, Nolan had to deal with some pretty thorny issues. His counsel to the board was wise and his exhortation to prayer and unity were well-received.

On Sunday (5/6/18), 14 of Nolan’s friends and ministry teammates gathered to honor this good man. We ate, we laughed, we prayed and we laid hands on him to commission him to his new ministry in Louisville, KY. Why was Nolan leaving his home, his job, his church, his friends, his culture, and his ministry in Minneapolis to live in Louisville? To care for his aging mother who moved to Louisville to be near her daughter. In this Nolan is faithful as a son.

It reminds me of the highest commendation that could ever be given to any Christian, “Well done, good and faithful slave; you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things, enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:21). The Lord’s measuring stick for all of life including ministry is faithfulness. Are you faithful in what God has given you? Are you bearing fruit with the gifts and talents He has given you? Would we find your photo next to the definition of faithfulness in God’s dictionary?

My prayer is, “Lord, please give us more Nolan Wikes. Your church needs more faithful men and women.

Irv