Pastor opens his heart and church

There was no hesitation when the request came in: Would Idlewild Baptist Church lend its mega-sized sanctuary for the funeral of two slain Tampa police officers?

"Of course," senior pastor Ken Whitten said, just as he has for so many high-profile funerals in the past.

"We have a standing 'of course' around here when it comes to something like this. Making our campus available only interrupts us for a few hours; the lives of the victims' families have been interrupted for life."

Whitten was enjoying his annual family vacation this week at Sanibel Island with his wife, four grown children, their spouses and five grandkids when he learned of the tragedy back home. When he heard that Idlewild - which seats about 5,500 - was needed, he began preparing.

"Ken has that ability to take the most horrific event and distill it into something that the family and community can take away in a meaningful and spiritual way," said Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio. "It's hard to come to terms with what's happened here. But he will find the right words, as he always does."

Whitten will join a police chaplain and other clergy in the pulpit to offer words of comfort and hope to a grieving and shocked community.

It's a place he knows well.

Twelve years ago on Memorial Day weekend, he was asked to deliver the eulogies for slain Tampa detectives Randy Bell and Ricky Childers during an emotional ceremony at the Tampa Convention Center. Just weeks later, on the Fourth of July weekend, he led the funeral for congregation member Vicki Robinson, killed by her 15-year-old daughter and the girl's boyfriend.

When former Buccaneers coach Tony Dungy's son James, 18, took his own life in December 2005, it was Whitten who stood before Idlewild's packed sanctuary to help mourners cope with unanswered questions.

"God's grace" is how Whitten said he keeps his own emotions in check when he's called upon to be strong at such heart-wrenching occasions.

"I recognize that death never takes a vacation," he said. "I've always been a pastor who laughs when people laugh, and hurts when people hurt. You have to be able to serve the people in good times and bad, with the same love and energy.

"And to be here for those men and women in blue, green and brown, who lay their lives on the line for us every day, is an honor to me. We owe them a debt of gratitude."

Although Whitten, 56, is a Baptist through and through, he's sensitive that community funerals such as Saturday's will draw people from all faiths or with no religious beliefs. He chooses his words carefully, but God is always at the center of his message.

The question he is asked most frequently in times like this: How can a loving God allow such a horrific thing to happen?

"We live in a violent, destructive and hostile world," Whitten said. "And we are living in evil times. But that doesn't change the fact that God is good, and we are preparing for something much more meaningful, which is eternity in heaven. I realize that doesn't always comfort those who are hurting, but that's the hope my faith gives me and that's what I try to teach every day."

Idlewild congregants are not surprised that their church - which they unofficially call Exciting Idlewild - is frequently chosen for communal, public funerals. It has 450,000 square feet of space on a sprawling 145-acre campus off Van Dyke Road. And they understand why their pastor is one of Tampa's go-to ministers for those services.

"He loves all people equally. That's what Christ is all about, and it's how Ken lives his life," said Jack Pledger, deputy director of Moffitt Cancer Center and an Idlewild member for 16 years. "He's sincere, genuine and transparent. When he talks to you, it's right from the heart. He is real."

That's just what Carl Gomillion saw 21 years ago when he was serving on Idlewild's pastor search committee. Members traveled to Memphis to hear Whitten preach at the church where he worked alongside Adrian Rogers, one of the Southern Baptist Convention's most influential national leaders.

"We fell in love with him then and we still feel that way now," says Gomillion, a retired Tampa firefighter. "He's one of the Godliest men I've met in my whole life, yet he's down to earth and has this great sense of humor. I hope he does my funeral when the day comes."

Under Whitten's leadership, Idlewild has grown from 3,000 members to 13,000, with average Sunday attendance at 7,000. It's now in its third location, with dozens of outreach ministries. Volunteers feed the homeless every Thursday; more than 150 college students do service projects throughout the community.

Sharon Puleo, a member since 2001, says it doesn't matter that Whitten never met the officers who were killed by a gunman early Tuesday morning. In the brief time he'll have with the families prior to the service, she says he will learn enough to deliver fitting remarks to honor them. And he will mean every word.

"He's not a preacher, he's a people's pastor," she said. "Give him 10 minutes, and he'll remember everything about you. If he says he'll do something, he always follows through with it. His compassion and kindness is an example to all of us."