A Note from Kim: I was honored when Dr. Bill Welte agreed to write an article for ProverbWise for the month of June. Joe and I have know Bill for well over twenty years through the ministry of America’s Keswick and my involvement with CCI-USA, now CCCA (Christian Camp and Conference Association), where I served on the Mid-Atlantic Cabinet when Bill was President. I had been attending the sectional meetings for a few years as the director of Camp Shadyrest, a small Christian day camp in Chesterfield, NJ. Bill approached me and asked if I would be willing to serve on the cabinet to represent Christian Day Camp ministries. I felt like a little minnow swimming in the big ocean with the large successful camps and conference centers all over the mid-Atlantic region, but what a privilege to be a part of this organization and learn from the best in the field of Christian camping.
Over the years, my husband and I have come to know and love Bill and Jan Welte and their family, as well as the ministry of America’s Keswick. One of the highlights of each year for the last ten years or so is when Joe has the privilege of speaking for a Families for Christ weekend. This is a time when the men from the Colony of Mercy Addiction recovery program, (both graduates and those who are still in the program) and their spouses come together on a monthly basis for teaching, counseling, and time away from the daily responsibilities of life. Joe usually speaks about once a year for this event, and I have the opportunity of spending time with the wives and participating in the meetings. We are always blessed by these precious families who have struggled and continue to do the hard work required for reconciliation and restoration of their families and their lives. It is amazing to see what God is doing in their lives and in their homes as they trust in His strength and continue to grow in faith and wisdom. Beginning last year, with the birth of Barbara’s Place, a new program for women in addiction, the ladies and their spouses, join the couples from the Colony of Mercy for the Families for Christ weekends.
A special thank you to Bill for taking time from his very busy schedule to write an article for ProverbWise Men of Integrity in June. We value your friendship and faithfully pray for your family and the ministries of America’s Keswick.
Integrity – The Goal Is Never Ending
By Dr. Bill Welte
President & CEO, America’s Keswick
The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him. Proverbs 20:7
Kim asked me to write a blog on integrity and that sure is a daunting task. If there was ever a time in the history of our world where we need men and women of integrity, well it’s right now.
Over the years I have gained wisdom on this topic by reading a chapter from Proverbs every day. I have been doing it fairly consistently for over 20 years based on a challenge given to us by our Pastor, Matt Reed.
I have read through Proverbs dozens and dozens of times. Have read it in multiple translations and paraphrases. But I never ceased to be amazed at how I can be reading on a particular day, and bam – a fresh, new insight leaps off the page into my heart.
Guys tend to be poor readers. Women are much better readers. Maybe that’s why there are so many more women’s books for women.
But here is an interesting observation about Proverbs. We all know that women tend to also be more spiritual than men, right? Come on – they go to Bible studies, attend those frilly, girly conferences and get all pampered and love to chat and then dig deeper in the Word and really outshine u.
Well where I am heading with this is that there really is only ONE chapter devoted to women in Proverbs – Proverbs 31. One single chapter. And when you read those verses, they are already there – that “Wow – you are a woman who has it all together in every area of life.”
In fact, the word man is used 164 times and men 22. Woman is used 19 times and she is used 1 time. I didn’t even try to dust of my all hard copy of Strong’s concordance to see how many times the word “he” vs. “she” is used.
It takes 30 chapters of Proverbs to teach us wisdom principles that will help us to be men, husband, fathers and sons of integrity.
I share this story when I preach about integrity. I am not proud of the illustration but you will get the point. Our family was traveling to Florida with Jan’s family for a week at the happiest place on earth. On the way we wanted to stop and spend the night at a cheap hotel. The bikers were all in so it was hard to find something, but we finally found a hotel outside of Jackson that said “Kid’s Stay Free.”
I checked us in and the lady asked how many rooms we needed. We needed two rooms. Two adults and two kids in one, and two adults and four kids in the other. Not a problem till I read the definition of a kid on the wall behind the reservationist.
I never spoke up, went to unpack and pulled out my Bible to have my quiet time and the Holy Spirit nudged me and spoke to my heart. So how was I going to handle this situation? Everyone saw the sign. Everyone knew that the kids were above the age except for one. I knew I’d be praying at dinner. Yikes!
It took me a matter of minutes to get up the courage, but I went down to the Front Desk and told the woman that I needed to clear something up. I shared with her that at check-in, I had not told the truth about the number of “kids” in our party and that I wanted to pay the right amount.
She looked at me and smiled and said, “I know. We have cameras at all the entrances and watched your ‘children’ walk to the second floor. But you did the right thing today and told the truth. You can lay your head on the pillow and sleep knowing that you demonstrated integrity. There will be no additional cost.”
Big lesson learned. And unfortunately I couldn’t just cross it off my bucket list and say, “Got that one under my belt.” I have been tested thousands of time since then.
What helps us be men and women of integrity? One of the ways we can do that is by digging into a chapter in Proverbs every day. As you do this, you will gain insight and understanding so that when situations arise that present to you the opportunity to make bad decisions, choose wrong paths, say wrong things, the Holy Spirit will remind what you have read and you will make the RIGHT decision.
And here is the greatest lesson of all – be a man of integrity if for no other reason than to be a godly role model to your spouse and kids and grandkids.
I challenge you – make a commitment to read one chapter a day for the rest of the year. It will be worth the investment. May God bless you.
Bill Welte has been the President & CEO of America’s Keswick, a Christian Conference and Retreat Center with Addiction Recovery programs for men and women, since 1997. He is a conference host, popular speaker, and the creator of “Freedom Fighters” – a daily encouragement email for men. The Colony of Mercy is the oldest residential addiction recovery program in the United States, now in its 117th year of ministry. In 2014, Barbara’s Place – our residential addiction recovery ministry for women – was founded.
Prior to his ministry at America’s Keswick, Bill served as Vice President of Ministries at Sandy Cove. He also served as Director of Music in several churches in the Philadelphia area and managed Fox Chase Christian Bookstores for 15 years. Bill has been married to his childhood sweetheart for more than 30 years. They have three married children, a teenage son, Zach, and 10 grandchildren: Tanner, Lindsay (with the Lord), Emma, Samuel, Ethan, Case, Will, Weston, Wyatt and Sydney Lin.