board of directors

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Getaneh Getaneh

Getaneh M. Getaneh, founder of Watch and Pray Ministries, is a gentle man whose radiant face belies the horrors he experienced during the red terror of the Mengistu regime in Ethiopia. He eventually escaped prison and fled to neighboring Djibouti. When the Communist government fell in 1994, he returned to Ethiopia.

We are a people who call on the name of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We are a people who hear the cries of Our God our Father’s children. We are a people who because of God’s grace and love are called to be the hands and feet of Christ.

Mike Mayer

Mr. Mayer is a graduate of Mississippi State University. He spent 22 years with Dowell and Schlumberger in many different positions in Louisiana, Texas and Paris, France. He left Schlumberger to work for a small family owned oilfield service business in Port of Spain, Trinidad, then moved to West Texas as the owner of Well Testing, Inc. in 1999. He later sold that company and started several others between 2007 and 2017. He is active in First Baptist Church, Midland where he is a deacon, Sunday School department director on the Missions Committee and has served as Chairman of the Church Council prior to being elected as Chairman of Watch & Pray. He has been involved in Watch & Pray since 2005 and was part of the original board of directors when the ministry moved from Virginia to Midland, TX.

Todd Hullender

Mr. Hullender moved to Midland in 1992 shortly after graduating from Texas A&M University. He is a Sales Manager with the Vector Controls Group, providing automation and control solutions primarily in oil and gas but other industries as well. Todd and his wife Kelly have three children: Blair is a senior at TCU, Mills is a sophomore at UT, and Sam is a senior at Midland High School. The Hullender’s volunteer their time around the youth of Midland, TX. In addition to Watch & Pray Ministry, their activities include Teen Community Bible Study, Rock the Desert Christian music festival, Little League Baseball, and Stonegate Fellowship Church. Their passion is to teach teenagers the relevance and truth of God's Word in their daily life and mentor them to become disciples of Jesus Christ.

Fikru Befirdu

Fikru was born on December 13, 1956 in Arsi District of Ethiopia. While he was in Nazareth/Adama in 1978, he found himself feeling like an empty vessel. He thought Life is vanity and meaningless. It is during this time of crisis in his life that his cousin Getaneh M. Getaneh, who was a born-again Christian came to him and asked him if he would like to go to church with him.

After he became a born again Christian, two things began to stir up in his heart. The first one was about studying the word of God and devotion to prayer and the second one was a burden for the lost.

Fikru graduated from college in 1983, he was assigned by the communist government to work at the Jimma Agricultural College in the position of College registrar. It was at this time that the Lord used him to start the underground church in the midst of brutal persecution from the communists.

Passing through different kinds of persecutions by the grace of the Lord, Fikru managed to plant the underground church during the communist regime and that church has grown to more than 90 local churches and around 100,000 members.

Fikru has served the church in different capacities. He was the member of the Executive Board of the Meserete Kristos Church, Director of College Development at MK College, Director of Mission and Evangelism at the Meserete Kristos Church Head Office, Adjacent professor at Mk college and the Addis Ababa Bible College, Board Member of Global Mission Fellowship of the Mennonite World Conference.

Fikru obtained an MTh in Systematic Theology from Ethiopian Graduate School of Theology in Ethiopia and MBA from University Phoenix in USA.

Keith Skaar

After graduating from Baylor University with a BS in Petroleum Geology in 1984, Keith worked for numerous independents developing prospects in various basins covering the domestic U.S.. In 1992, Keith began a career as an exploration geologist working the Permian Basin for Independent Petroleum firms establishing commercial discoveries and production throughout the Permian Basin. In November of 2016, Keith started Augustin Exploration, LLC to continue identifying and developing oil and gas reserves in the Permian Basin. Keith has been sought out as a featured speaker/lecturer/keynote for numerous industry conferences including the AAPG, Houston Geologic Society, Emerging Shale Plays, and WTGS amongst others.

A bachelor until the age of 43, Keith married Kari (Welker) Skaar in 2005 and they have two children, Nathan (age 10), and Maggie (age 8). Keith serves as a Trustee of First Baptist Church in Midland and Wayland Baptist University. Keith also serves on the board of other charitable organizations including The 21st Century Wilberforce Initiative in Falls Church, Virginia (Washington, DC), Rock The Desert, and Watch and Pray Ministries, both here in Midland. An avid golfer, Keith is a stockholding member of Midland Country Club and the Petroleum Club of Midland.

Kyle Stallings

Kyle L. Stallings is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Desert Royalty Company, LLC. Kyle graduated from Texas Tech University in 1978 with a degree in Real Estate Finance. He began his career as a land man with Hunt Energy in 1979 before joining Enserch Exploration in 1980. Kyle began acquiring minerals in 1986, co-founded Permian Basin Acquisition Fund 88 (PBAF 88) in 1987 and formed Permian Basin Acquisition Fund as a sole proprietorship in 1990. Kyle and his wife Jamie have five children and four grandchildren. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, First Liberty and is a co-founder of MarketPlace Midland. Mr. Stallings is a member of the Texas Business Leadership Roundtable (formerly the Governors Business Council) and serves on the Texas Lieutenant Governor’s Workforce and Economic Development Advisory Board and on the Baylor Leadership Council.

Ken Beattie

Ken Beattie is the Chief Operating Officer at CrownQuest Operating, LLC. Ken graduated from Montana Tech in 1992 with a degree in Petroleum Engineering. He began his career at Meridian Oil, which later became Burlington Resources, in 1993. While at Burlington, Ken served in various engineering roles, including Gulf Coast Engineering Manager. When ConocoPhillips (COP) acquired Burlington in 2006, Ken served as the Mid-Continent Business Development Manager for COP. In 2007, Ken left COP to join CrownQuest Operating, soon after CrownQuest consummated a private equity deal with Lime Rock Partners.
Ken and his wife Kelly were married in 1994, and have four daughters, Kayla (age 21), Alissa (19), Makenna (17), and Leia (15). Ken serves as President of Midland Bible Church, where he has been an elder since 2009. He has also served as a board trustee at Midland Classical Academy since 2009 and Watch & Pray International Ministries since 2016. Ken has been active in church planting and discipleship in Uganda, making three mission trips to that country since 2001.

Darrell Dunton

Darrell is a native Texan, born in Fort Worth. He founded Admarc in 1983 and has been recognized for his creative accomplishments and cooperative attitude for many years. He has won hundreds of awards locally, regionally and nationally, from Addy
Award competitions to the International Film Festival of New York and CLIO.

Over 48 years in the advertising and graphic arts industry, Darrell has been blessed to work with and develop relationships with some of the best creative individuals in the country. Darrell is involved with Tenth District NSAC, AAF, AIGA. He serves as a board member of Red River Ministries, The Life Center, 21st Century Wilberforce Initiative, Fuel the Fire, The Baptist Standard, and many community boards. His delight is in his three children (and nine grandchildren) and beautiful wife, Barbara, of 46 years. He is involved in his church, Advance Church of Midland, where he is an elder and with his wife are the Prayer Coordinators.

DiAnn Koehl Whigham

DiAnn has served as Executive Director of Midland Fair Havens since it began in 1997. Her career includes directing Central Texas Youth Services Bureau and Harmony Family Services. She spent her childhood on the mission field in Singapore and Malaysia, coming to the US for college where she met her first husband, George. After raising 4 children, 39 years of marriage and full-time ministry together, she became a widow and through that journey found new opportunities of ministry with people in loss and grief. Six years after her late husband moved to heaven, God blessed DiAnn with a new marriage to Chris and even more ministry opportunities. Together they have 8 grown children, 5 in-law children, and 9 grandchildren. DiAnn has served in various volunteer capacities including Heritage Counseling Board, Texas State Homeless Network Board, Junior League, Symphony Guild VP, Bible study teacher, missions’ ministries, music ministry, and taught women’s ministries overseas and in the US. She is ever so grateful to live in God’s grace, receive His mercies new every morning, and witness His greatness.

Bobby Henry

Bobby Henry does one thing, and he does it really well - he loves the Lord. Bobby inspires everyone around him, selflessly giving his whole heart to the Lord obediently and joyfully. Born in Austin, Texas, Bobby went on to serve in the US Air Force as a Major. He attended the University of Texas for his undergraduate degree and Baylor College of Dentistry for his DDS. He graduated from Loma Linda University with his MS in Orthodontics. Bobby moved his family to Midland in 1976 to open his private orthodontics practice, Smiles Inc. He has been persistently involved in the community ever since. Currently, Bobby is an Elder and Founding Member of Stonegate Fellowship Church, a small group leader at Seek First Bible Study for 4th grade boys, a Servant Leader for junior high students, high school students, and young adults, and a Board Member for Watch & Pray Ministries and Red River Ministries. Past activities include National Director and Founder of Student Community Bible Study, National Director of Evening Community Bible Study, Founding Leader of Men’s Community Bible Study in Midland, former Board Member for the Midland YMCA, Young Life Committee, Sunday school teacher, and several volunteer roles for the Eyes of Texas Club, Longhorn Foundation, and Texas Exes. Rarely does he miss any UT sporting events, his orange blood just won’t allow it (his season tickets help too). Bobby is happily married to his wife of over 53 years, Janice, and together they have 3 grown children and 11 grandchildren. His grandchildren are the apple of his eye. He has season tickets to their games too.