Walter Whitson was born and raised in Elmira and continued this tradition with his own family. Walt earned his degree in liberal arts, mathematics and physics at Elmira College while providing for/raising a family and holding down 2 jobs. He was an engineer at Westinghouse for 44 years.

Walt learned about the Lord at a young age through his mother and Nellie Biedelman. He came to accept the Lord through the birth of his first born, Bonnie, who had severe physical and mental disabilities. He has blossomed as a servant of Christ’s and hasn’t stopped growing daily in the Lord.

His passion is sharing the word of Christ’s salvation to those who have not accepted and/or grown with the Lord’s gift, thus leading him to the prison ministry. Walt started out in the prison ministry in 1990 at the Elmira Reformatory facility. In 1992, while he and his wife, Virginia, where living in Florida during the winter with their daughter, Debbie, he met Charlie Rozzelle, leader of  the prison ministry for Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church. Charlie introduced Walt to the prison spiritual cell at the Conte facility and Walt has been preaching the Lord’s word there since.