Chuck Weaver comes from an independent Baptist background. In his first pastorate — Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Hale County — Chuck is serving an Alabama Baptist church which cooperates with the State Convention and the Southern Baptist Convention. Sometimes, pastors who have been independent Baptists try to lead the church in the direction of becoming more independent and less cooperative with other Baptist churches, locally and globally.
This is not the case with Chuck Weaver. Chuck has become a Southern Baptist and an Alabama Baptist. How did the transformation take place? Well in all honesty, the church building caught on fire and burned to rubble. As I have previously mentioned in an earlier blog, Alabama Baptist disaster relief’s first responders moved swiftly into action. State Missionary Mel Johnson was on site the next day and, within 48 hours, I represented Alabama Baptists with a disaster relief check for the church.
Additionally by the first Sunday in May, their homecoming, a new mobile chapel was placed on the property. This mobile chapel and all the others used for disaster relief and church planting come from cooperating Alabama Baptists who want to help people in a time of need.
Through the mail, Chuck Weaver received a check from a lady who also wanted to assist the church in their efforts to rebuild. Chuck knew this lady was living on a fixed income. In his mind, she was giving the “widow’s mite” to the church. Then, as he pondered this significant gift, he asked himself, where did the money given by Alabama Baptists come from? Other “widow’s mites” was his answer. Chuck thought about all the cooperating Baptists in Alabama who sacrificed for his church during this time of crisis. “I guess that day I became a Southern Baptist,” he stated.
Conversion to Christ is the main issue of life for everyone. It is life’s most important decision. Chuck Weaver has evidenced a second type conversion, a conversion to cooperation. Cooperating by giving through the Cooperative Program is a means of supporting efforts of sharing Christ with people, who do not know Him. Inherent in this conversion, there is the joy of cooperating with other like-minded believers who want to help people when a need arises.
Welcome to the family Chuck Weaver!!! You are now in a big family, one known for cooperating in local and global missions and evangelism. Here is our commitment to you. We will pray for you as you lead your church during this most challenging time. We will help your church get back to a new normal. We will work with you in the future, as you serve locally and impact others globally. We are family, and family members help each other in times of need, like Pleasant Hill and you now face. Again, welcome to the family Chuck Weaver!!!
