DIDASKO MINISTRIES HAS CLOSED ITS MISSIONARY SUPPORT DEPARTMENT AFTER 45 YEARS OF ASSISTING INDEPENDENT MINISTRIES.
Didasko Ministries, Inc. was started by Dr. Dale and Mrs. Kathy Wheeler as a 501(c3) Non-Profit Religious Organization in 1974 to provide a basis for their expanding ministries. The name “Didasko Ministries” was taken from the Greek word which means “to teach,” and is used in the New Testament to indicate the teaching of the Gospel and Christian Doctrine.
In 1974, during their second year of touring with the Music Ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ, the Wheeler’s started a very successful Bible study and prayer group in Nashville, TN, which soon numbered over a hundred attendees. Believing that this was the direction to which God was calling them, the Wheelers left CCC staff and devoted themselves wholly to this new ministry, anticipating that this would lead to a new church planting.
It became clear to the Wheelers that they needed training to insure the integrity of the Biblical teaching and the discipleship of believers, so they decided to go to seminary for such training. In 1975 Dale began his training at Dallas Seminary, completing the Th.M. degree in 1979 and the Ph.D. in 1987. Between 1980 and 1987 Dr. Wheeler taught at Dallas Seminary and Bible Colleges in the Dallas, TX area. During this time, God blessed them with three daughters. In 1987, Dr. Wheeler was invited to join the faculty of Multnomah University in Portland, OR. He taught Greek, Hebrew and Bible at Multnomah up to the time of his retirement in 2014.
If you use any Bible software program that contains Greek and Hebrew texts and tools, you’ll most likely see Dr. Wheeler’s name on some of those texts and tools. Dr. Wheeler has been the editor/co-editor of many of the regular and parsed versions of the electronic Greek NT, Greek OT (LXX) and Hebrew OT texts used today, as well as the author of the first electronic Greek and Hebrew grammars.
While in seminary, Didasko Ministries provided support for the Wheelers and many other seminarians, as they ministered in churches and other venues. During this time other non-seminarians became staff of Didasko Ministries as well. In addition to student and traditional ministries, Didasko Ministries has also encouraged and helped many non-traditional and innovative ministries; eg. Rodeo evangelism, inner-city cross-cultural ministries, various athletic teams and outreaches, etc.
Dr. and Mrs. Wheeler continue to direct Didasko Ministries today.