There was no reason to expect that an unassuming country boy from Mississippi would have a resounding impact on the moral fabric of American culture, but God delights to show His power through the small and humble.
Born in 1938 in the small town of Dumas, Mississippi, Don Wildmon was raised in a modest yet spiritually rich home. His parents, Ellis and Bernice Wildmon were not wealthy in a worldly sense, but they provided their children with a priceless foundation of faith. From a young age, Don and his siblings – Helen, Louise, Johnny, and Allen – were instilled with the teachings and practices of the church by participating in their local congregation.
Faith was an integral part of everyday life in the Wildmon home. Bernice and Ellis taught and lived out consistent Christian values before their children. As Don’s parents modeled active ministry and community involvement, he saw firsthand that serving God wasn’t confined to Sunday mornings, but was meant to permeate all of life.
Bernice, a school teacher by profession, furthered her own education by earning additional teaching credentials, demonstrating to her children the value of diligence and self-improvement. Ellis worked for the regional health department, modeling the quiet influence of responsibility and civic-mindedness. Faith, for the Wildmon family, was never idle. Faith stood up and went to work.
The growing cultural darkness
Mr. and Mrs. Wildmon’s example of following Jesus Christ clearly made an impact on young Don. He would later point to a Billy Graham revival service he attended around the age of 9 as the definitive spiritual turning point in his life. Upon leaving that event, Don felt assured of two things: his personal salvation through Christ and the initial sparks of God’s calling on his life. Though Don figured he would likely pursue vocational ministry someday, no one could have envisioned the national influence he would eventually come to wield.
During Don’s early years, seeds were planted that laid the foundation his ministry would be built upon: courage, conviction, servanthood, and above all, faithfulness.
As a child, Don’s personal world may have been simple, characterized by faithfulness to God and the bright example of his parents, but the world outside was descending into darkness. America was passing new milestones on the road to cultural decline, with forces working sleeplessly to tear down traditional notions of decency.
As Don moved into his teen years and felt more clearly the calling to ministry, the Lord was priming him for a life of spiritual and cultural warfare.
The call to stand
After graduating high school in 1956, Don attended Millsaps College. He was licensed to the ministry and began pastoring small congregations in Mississippi. Don graduated in 1960, served in the U.S. Army for two years, and then entered seminary at Emory University. Ordained by the United Methodist Church in 1964, he received his master’s degree from Emory’s Candler School of Theology in 1965. Don faithfully shepherded congregations for over a decade.
This humble country preacher carried on contentedly with pastoral work until 1977 when he became troubled by the sinful programs that his children were exposed to on television.
Compelled to act, he established a national grassroots campaign targeting indecent broadcasting. This led to the founding of National Federation for Decency. Consequently, in 1977, Don left pastoral ministry in order to lead this new effort, which later became known as American Family Association.
In many ways, the calling, courage, and conviction Don displayed in activism echoed the humble and principled faith modeled by his parents. The spiritual foundation they laid enabled Don to establish a bulwark of Christian values that would impact the nation for generations.
(Digital Editor's Note: This article was published first in the March 2024 print edition of The Stand.)
