Resources by Charlie Wingard

Pacific Crucible: War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942

By Charlie Wingard · January 28, 2017 · 1 Comment
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  My interest in America’s Pacific War (1941-1945) began in elementary school. One of our readers included the story of Jimmy Doolittle’s Tokyo Raid. I was captivated by the stunning story of 16 Army B-25 Mitchells that were outfitted for this unique objective and flown by specially trained crews. Launched from an American aircraft carrier that had slipped to within several hundred miles of Japan’s coast, the odds of survival were slim. Theirs was a no-return mission. After dropping their bombs, the crews headed for destinations in China and Russia, harrowing escape attempts that led to freedom for some, and prison, torture, and death for others. Doolittle’s Raid came less than six months after Pearl Harbor. The enemy was caught off guard and…

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In Memoriam: Thomas Ashcraft (1937-2017)

By Charlie Wingard · January 9, 2017 · 1 Comment
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  My thirty-two years of ministry have been exceptionally joyful – in large part, I believe – because of the wonderful staff associates God has given me. Tom Ashcraft, who passed away last Thursday, was among the best. I remember the first time I met Tom. We had an opening for music director at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama. Recently retired to the area, Tom was not currently serving a church. His daughter Stefanie, a good friend of our family, mentioned that he might be interested in the position. It took enormous effort to contain my enthusiasm. First, finding a talented music director committed to traditional Christian worship is not an easy task. And then there was the additional fact…

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My Year with Books (2016)

By Charlie Wingard · January 2, 2017 · 0 Comments
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The books I completed during 2016: Jason Roberts, A Sense of the World:  How a Blind Man Became the World’s Greatest Traveler J.I. Packer, Faithfulness and Holiness: The Witness of J.C. Ryle (including the full text of the first edition of Ryle’s, Holiness) C.S. Lewis, Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold Timothy Keller, Preaching: Communicating Faith in an Age of Skepticism Sarah L. Delaney and A. Elizabeth Delaney with Amy Hill Hearth, Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters First 100 Years John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress (part 1)  Thabiti M. Anyabwile, The Faithful Preacher: Recapturing the Vision of Three Pioneering African-American Pastors  Warren and David Wiersbe, Ministering to the Mourning: A Practical Guide for Pastors, Church Leaders, and Other…

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December 7, 1941 – Pearl Harbor

By Charlie Wingard · December 7, 2016 · 0 Comments
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Seventy-five years ago today Japanese forces attacked American military installations in Hawaii. A day later President Franklin Roosevelt requested Congress for a declaration of war with Japan.  Listen his speech here. It concludes: Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger.  With confidence in our armed forces- with the unbounding determination of our people- we will gain the inevitable triumph- so help us God.  I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire.

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Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

By Charlie Wingard · November 30, 2016 · 0 Comments
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Winston Churchill was born November 30, 1874. He tops most lists of the twentieth century’s greatest leaders, the consummate man of word and action. From May 1940 to America’s December 1941 entry into World War II, Churchill’s leadership rallied Britain against Nazi domination. Of all the countries of northern Europe, only Britain stood between Hitler and freedom. It’s hard to imagine England resisting Germany’s onslaught without Churchill. British resistance was not a given. Other options were available, and many favored a negotiated peace. For readers wanting to become familiar with Churchill’s life but unable to invest the time it takes to read a lengthy biography, I recommend Winston Churchill: A Life by the late military historian John Keegan. This brief biography comes…

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