Bro. Don Wildmon: Preacher of Righteousness, Visionary, and Valiant Leader
On Thursday, December 28, 2023, AFA’s founder, Donald E. Wildmon—affectionately known to many of us simply as “Brother Don”—entered glory. Because he believed the gospel, we have every confidence that he is more alive today than ever before. Thanks be to God!
Bro. Don’s authentic faith in God was exemplified through his life as a disciple, servant, and culture warrior. He was a humble man, a compassionate Christian, and a bold preacher of righteousness. He said “yes” to God’s call in 1977, leading him out of the local pastorate and into the public square where he became a valiant leader in the pro-family movement.
I feel extremely blessed to have served on his board of directors for six years and then alongside him as my boss for decades. As his executive assistant, I learned much from him and was given a front-row seat to see and experience God’s miracles at work through the multi-faceted ministries of AFA.
The Bible—God’s holy, infallible, and inerrant Word—gives us the Great Commission: to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and make disciples for Him. The Word also gives us the Cultural Commission: to become His change agents in this present world.
Since its founding, the mission of AFA has been about faithfulness to a message: the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To understand the AFA message, it is instructive to understand the theology that shaped the worldview of our founder. I quote Bro. Don from an article he wrote in 2004 titled, "Christians and Culture: What Role Should We Play?"
“How should we Christians respond to our society that is largely turning its back on the very values that have made our country great? Should we be involved in the political system to change laws and institutions so that they more closely reflect God’s mind? Or should we only be concerned with changing hearts?
I believe the answer is that we should be waist-deep in both. As Christian activists we believe there is a biblical charge to restore our country to its godly foundation using the means that have been granted to us, means like voting and exercising our free speech rights to oppose those things God opposes. At the same time, Jesus clearly tells us in Matthew 28 that evangelism and discipleship are priorities.
So, for American Christians who take the Bible seriously, we have two mandates to understand and fulfill: restore our society to one that honors God, and at the same time, share with our neighbors how to find Christ and mature in Him. And while doing all that, we must remember that our success is totally in God’s hands. As I’ve written many times over the years, our duty is simply to be obedient.”
Brother Don was reminding believers that we cannot simply bemoan cultural opposition to our faith. We are commissioned to stand against the lies and expose them for what they are while we also actively promote a biblical vision of the gospel’s flourishing. We hate evil. Yet when we stand in the public square it is because of love: love of God and love of neighbor. The second flows out of the first.
Leonard Ravenhill was an English Christian evangelist and author who focused on prayer and revival. He said this about prayer:
“I believe the place of prayer in not only a place where I lose my burdens, but also a place where I get a burden. He shares my burden and I share His burden. To know that burden we must hear the voice of the Spirit. To hear that voice, we must be still and know that He is God.” Ravenhill said, “Most Christians pray to be blessed. Few pray to be broken.”
Through prayer, Bro. Don and his beloved wife, Mrs. Lynda, gave their burdens to the Lord. They were also given a burden from the Lord. What about you and me today? Are we broken in this way? Do we hear the words of Jesus and the voice of the Holy Spirit asking us to share His burden for our sin-sick, wayward nation, and a world who so desperately needs Him?
About twenty years ago, I was present among a small group of Christian activists where Bro. Don was sharing his heart about the lostness and brokenness of our society and made this poignant observation,
“The greatest miracle in the New Testament (you may think I’m blaspheming but I’m not) is not the resurrection. The greatest miracle in the New Testament are the people Jesus entrusted His church to. And, with no plan B.”
Bro. Don was reiterating that all believers have a calling from the Lord and it is a vital and irreplaceable role. That is what the story of Bro. Don Wildmon—and the story of countless ordinary folks in Scripture—says to the church today.
The words “courage and boldness” come to my mind as I try to grasp the kingdom and cultural impact of Bro. Don’s life and legacy. His example inspired so many of us to enter the arena and become salty Christians, reflecting the light of Christ to this lost generation. Billy Graham has been credited as saying: “Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are stiffened.”
Bro. Don’s witness impacted corporate America, presidents, and governors. He influenced federal and state governmental leaders to guard the sanctity of life, defend the dignity of marriage as the union of one man and one woman, and defend and promote religious liberty. I feel safe in saying that his Christian witness, directly or indirectly, has impacted millions of lives.
I will simply sum up his influence upon myself, and countless others, the number of which is known only to God, in this manner: If Bro. Don and Mrs. Lynda had not obeyed and remained faithful to God’s calling from 1977, you would not be reading this article right now. I wouldn’t have had the manifold blessings of serving God from this ministry base over the past several decades and this article could not have been written because there would have been no American Family Association. This platform, The Stand, along with the American Family Radio Network, plus the many multi-faceted and potent ministries of AFA today under the strong and decisive leadership of AFA President Tim Wildmon, would not be impacting this world as it is for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Don Wildmon and Buddy Smith
[Stay tuned later this year when American Family Studios will release a feature-length documentary on the impact of our beloved Bro. Don Wildmon on America.]
(Editor's note: This article was published first HERE by the American Decency Association.)
