OK...I think we are getting somewhere now 
I think you may have jumped the tracks inadvertently.
The problem we have now is the way you are invoking the script.
The settings that you enter into the .conf file will only be used if you run the command with the "-c" switch.
In the examples you have given previously you have not done this
./ghettoVCB.sh -f vms_to_backup
and
./ghettoVCB.sh -f vms_to_backup -d debug
Neither of these commands uses the "-c" switch which means that ghettoVCB.sh wilI use the settings in the script itself.
In fact just to confuse you a little more there are three places that configurations settings can be made.
1. In a configuration file per virtual machine
2. In a global configuration file for multiple vms
3. In the ghettoVCB script itself
If the script does not find workable settings in 1. or 2. it will fall back to 3.
If there are no workable settings in 3. then it will error out as you have found.
As per Williams documentation (which you need to read more closely) you will find if you use the "-c" switch the configuration file MUST be named exactly the same as the virtual machine to be backed up and that you only nominate the folder at the command line - not the file, since the script expects to find it with exactly the same name as the vm.
Backup VMs based on specific configuration located in directory
./ghettoVCB.sh -f vms_to_backup -c vm_backup_configs
Backup VMs using global ghettoVCB configuration file
./ghettoVCB.sh -f vms_to_backup -g /global/ghettoVCB.conf
My other tip is to always use the full path whether it be in a batch file or at the command line like so
/vmfs/volumes # /vmfs/volumes/datastore/tools/ghettoVCB.sh -m vmname -c
/vmfs/volumes/datastore/tools/backup_config -d debug -l /vmfs/volumes/mnc060ds/tools/logs/vmname.log
Keep going and good luck