Bob Cheatham

My earliest recollection of church is me, age 7, worshiping in a church of Christ in Tacoma, Washington. My father was in the military and stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington. The military life gave us the opportunity to see faith practiced around the country and the world. In Germany, we worshiped with one other family and a single serviceman. I would frequently go to Catholic mass with friends. We spent Christmas with Dieter Alden andhis family in Heidleberg. Dieter was the preacher there. After returning to the states, we settled in Indiahoma, Oklahoma, where we worshiped with country folk in a church of about fifty brothers and sisters. Dad was an elder there. There were great people there, and I witnessed blessing as well as ugly times as the church split over the usual themes rather than letting God heal.

One of my greatest mentors was Tom Cunningham at the Stillwater, Oklahoma church. He and his wife Deloris took the young married students under their wings. They were great models for Christ and marriage. Another great model in Kathy's and my life was her aunt Welcome in Nebraska. Welcome and her husband opened their home to many foster children and adopted one of them. God has truly blessed us with many great models everywhere we've been.

The varied experiences around the world have given me varied views of how to and how not to shepherd in God's church. Of first importance is prayer. Elders must be men of prayer, praying with others and praying privately continuously. I am still learning how to pray while on the move, even while running in the morning or driving to a job site. Another important lesson has been how to be a person of grace - to be Christlike, this is paramount. Some of my less happy experiences in churches early in my life have brought this responsibility home to me. If the church is to be a haven of grace, the leadership must set the example.

The direction this body has been going, I believe, is God's doing. Being a place of sanctuary and prayer in the neighborhood... Letting people minister without getting in the way - but lifting them up instead... All of the great goings-on are done quietly, letting the credit go to the Giver of Life. If we always keep our direction open to His leading, we will glorify him.