You never know who God is going to use or how He’ll do it. For the Weldon family, that someone was Pastor Glenn Reese. “It’s special because the same person who led me to the Lord and has had an impact on my whole life did the same thing for my kids,” said Cherie Weldon.
Cherie grew up going to Deermeadows Baptist and Brother Glenn, as she affectionately called him, knew her mom and dad even before she was born. “He was always like an Uncle to me,” said Cherie.
When she was six years old, Cherie accepted Christ and knew she wanted to be baptized. Before taking that step, she met with Glenn. He explained the gospel to her using four different colored Styrofoam cups. The cups represented God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), God the spirit (Holy Spirit), and all of us (the people). That cup illustration and the patient words of Glenn helped Cherie truly understood the decision she was making, and Glenn agreed she was ready to be baptized. Glenn baptized Cherie shortly after that conversation and continued to be a source of wisdom and comfort throughout her time at Deermeadows.
Cherie grew up, changed churches, got married to her husband JJ, and had four children: eight-year-old Connor, six-year-old twins Tyler and Parker, and five-year-old Taylor. The family made their way to Chets Creek Church earlier this year after moving from a different area of Jacksonville.
Her oldest son Connor accepted Christ before they came to Chets Creek but was hesitant to be baptized at their previous church because he was nervous about doing it in front of so many people. When Connor saw a baptism announcement with a picture of Brother Glenn baptizing someone at the beach, he began asking his mom questions. Cherie asked if he wanted to be baptized at the beach and he said yes.
Around the same time one of her twin sons said he wanted to accept Jesus Christ. His brother overheard and said he too was ready. Remembering the counseling she’d been through with Glenn, she asked if he still did the cup illustration and if he’d be willing to share it with her kids. He immediately agreed. Tyler and Parker made decisions to commit their lives to Christ and all three boys decided to be baptized.
Cherie’s husband also decided to be baptized along with their boys. He was saved as a child but never baptized and decided he wanted to be do so when their first child was also ready. When it came time to determine who would be the person actually doing the baptizing at the beach Cherie said they all wanted Glenn. “We all felt comfortable with Glenn,” she said.
So, they asked if he’d baptize all of them. He of course agreed. The boys were incredibly excited and were counting down the days until they too would make their faith known. “Every time they’d see a picture of Brother Glenn baptizing, they’d point and say that’s going to be us soon,” said Cherie.
This summer JJ, Connor, Tyler, and Parker made their faith known just like Cherie had done all those years ago with the same man who’d impacted her life for eternity. “The most important prayer of any parent is that your child will grow to know God and live for Him,” said Cherie. She is prayerful that they’ll continue to grow in their faith and thankful for a church that helps them do that.
Pastor Glenn sharing his Gospel Cup Illustration.