Pastor Wayne Babcock
Pastor Wayne arrived in Quartzsite, Arizona in 2013, and found his way to Isaiah 58 Project the following year. He like many others, had found Jesus at an early age and had fallen away. The Lord delivered him from alcohol in 1987, and patiently started working in his life. Wayne recommitted his life to Jesus in 1990 in Prineville, Oregon. He became a serious student of the Bible beginning in 1987 and continuing to this day.
Before the Lord brought him to Quartzsite, from April 1996 until March 2006, Wayne served as the registered Chaplain of the Crook County Correctional Facility in Prineville. While working at a fulltime job in town, he held regular scheduled church services four times a week at the jail. He also made occasional unscheduled visits to the jail, many the result of a late night phone call, or a visit from a corrections officer at his workplace.
On Father’s Day, June 19, 2016, Wayne filled in for Pastor Mike Hobby, while he and his wife Linda were on vacation in Washington. On that date, in Washington, Pastor Mike suffered a stroke that would claim his life three days later. Wayne has continued to fill the pulpit since then.
In January 2017, Wayne was officially ordained and installed as an Assistant Pastor of Isaiah 58, with Pastor Linda in attendance and Pastor Mike’s son Michael officiating the ceremony.
Working closely with Pastor Linda, they drew closer in their personal relationship as well and were blissfully married on August 15, 2017.
Pastor Linda passed away on April 15, 2021. Wayne has stayed on and continues to run the ministry endeavoring to uphold the vision of its founders, Mike Hobby and Linda Hobby Babcock.
With the help of many other volunteers, and following the will of God, we carry on with this work, keeping this a place to serve people and fulfilling the mandate spoken of by the Prophet Isaiah in chapter 58 of his book in the Bible.
Isaiah 58:6-12
6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward.
9 Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day:
11 And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
12 And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.