In Episode 46, Wally Long joins the podcast from Southwest Missouri to share a heartbreaking yet profoundly inspiring story of faith. Between 2006 and 2007, Wally’s family was struck by a devastating series of tragedies: the suicide of his youngest sister, a horrific motorcycle accident that cost his son his leg, and the passing of his mother. Then, in another shocking heartbreak, his brother and sister-in-law were tragically murdered by their own 12-year-old son, leaving Wally and his wife to adopt the surviving younger children.
Listen in as Wally shares how these overwhelming sorrows forced him to ask the ultimate question: "Why Me, Lord?". Desperate for answers, he turned to the scriptures, discovering truths that ultimately became his powerful book on navigating tragedy and suffering. Wally also reflects on his nearly 50-year faith journey, explaining why he identifies so deeply with the Apostle Peter—an "average guy" whose impetuous nature was transformed by God into a powerful force for the gospel. If you are currently facing a dark season and wondering why God allows bad things to happen, Wally’s hard-earned wisdom will guide you toward hope.
Guest's Bio
At the age of 17 Wally came to know Jesus as Savior and a short time later, Wally felt called to ministry in some capacity. He did not know exactly how that would look but he surrendered to serve however and wherever God led him. Wally attended the Liberty Bible Institute in Lynchburg, Virginia for two years. In the summer of 1979, after his first year at LBI, Wally met the love of his life, Sylvia, while they served together ministering at the Treasure Island Children's Summer Camp through Thomas Road Baptist Church. They were married the next summer.
Although vocational ministry did not happen right away, Wally began to minister in music, teaching, or preaching wherever he and his small family found themselves. He enlisted in the US Marines in 1980 and served 10 years until December 1990. In 1991, Wally started a career with the Federal Bureau of Prisons in Springfield, Missouri. Throughout their travels, Wally continued to minister in the churches where he and his wife were members. Wally retired from the Federal Bureau of Prisons and in 2014 was called to pastor a small Baptist church in Mount Vernon, Missouri, where he has been since.
Wally is involved in ministry to veterans and first responders through Peterson Outdoors Ministries. He spends a week each summer preaching at Ponca Bible Camp in Ponca, AR to 9th and 10th grade students. He and his church are also involved in ministering to those in the community who are in addiction recovery programs.
Wally and his wife, Sylvia, have 8 children and 9 grandchildren. In 1988, they began homeschooling their oldest daughter and continued the journey of homeschooling until their youngest daughter was enrolled in their local high school in 2020, where she graduated with honors in 2024.
In March 2024, Wally published his first book, Why Me, Lord? In this book he shares the lessons he learned through a series of tragedies that struck his family.