A Faith Passed Down: The Legacy That Shaped My Soul

Last night I concluded a Gospel Meeting with the Christian Home Church in Butler County, Kentucky, about 30 miles North of Bowling Green.

Although I’ve preached there many times over the years, I’m constantly reminded of my spiritual heritage, traced back to that 100-year-old congregation.

No one seems to know how or why this little country church is identified as Christian Home. But it has been home to many people in the past 10+ decades. My grandparents attended there back in the 1930s and 40’s. The Church has a record book that dates back to 1921. In it are recorded the membership roster and those baptized at Christian Home.

I saw the entry of my Mom, Mattie Key, who was baptized there in October of 1940. Of course, they didn’t have a baptistery in those days, so she was baptized in nearby Welch’s Creek. My Aunt Hattie Lee was baptized there in September 1934, and my Aunt Babe (Marcella Gabbard) was baptized in November 1944.

My grandfather, Nat Key, took the family to church in a horse-drawn wagon. Granny rode “up front,” and some of the younger kids rode in the wagon while the older kids walked the dusty, dirt road to the house of worship every 1st Day. My Aunt recalled how the women would sit in the front and the men would sit in the back of the building on hard, wooden-slat benches.

Their religion, however, was not a Sunday-only event. My Mom once recalled Granny Key gathering the kids around the fireplace after supper and reading the Bible to them. She commented that that experience drew them closer to each other and to God.

When Mom turned 18, she moved to Indianapolis and began working at U.S. Rubber Company, which later became Uniroyal. There she met Roy Weliever, who was not a Christian at the time. But later, after they married, Dad obeyed the gospel about 1947. Mom’s influence extended into Dad’s family, where his brother, sister, mother, and nephew would eventually obey the Gospel.

In time, Dad was asked to serve as a Deacon in the church at Plainfield, Indiana, and later on as one of the Shepherds. Dad took his stewardship seriously, serving to the best of his ability. Through the years, he conducted in-home Bible studies, sharing the gospel with non-Christians. I remember one particular year, Dad’s studies resulted in 11 people being baptized into Christ. Of course, my brother, Bill, and I were recipients of that godly influence, discipline, and instruction in the Lord from both my Mom and Dad.

Preaching at Christian Home this week reminds me of where it all began. It reiterates that I’m a debtor to those who have gone on before and have passed the spiritual torch from generation to generation. Unknown and unheralded pastors, preachers, Bible class teachers, and fellow Christians shaped the values of my grandparents, my Mom, and her siblings.

So, having returned to the source of my spiritual roots, my heart is full, filled with gratitude, humility, and a deep appreciation for the labor of previous generations. As I share the gospel message and see young families, children, and aged saints, I’m reminded that I have a responsibility to be one small link in that legacy. It challenges me to make a difference, not just for my children and grandchildren, but also for those who hear me preach.

What legacy are you leaving?

The wise man wrote, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children” (Prov 13:22). The concept of legacy often reminds us of property. Money. Or material possessions. But there is a greater legacy. A legacy left by my parents and grandparents, as well as good and faithful brethren at Christian Home who’ve gone on to their reward.

The Psalmist declared, “Which we have heard and known, And our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, telling the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and His strength and His wonderful works that He has done” (Ps 78:3-4).

There is the legacy of Biblical values. Values that glorify God. Values that bless other people. Values that provide purpose. This kind of legacy is lasting. So many things in life are fleeting, changing, and transitory. But Biblical values provide a lasting legacy because they offer stability. And they teach personal responsibility.

I know some people overcome an unhappy home life. Poor parenting. Ungodly influences. Indeed, it is possible. Many have done it. But I’m thankful to have received a legacy that has made a difference in my life.

And so, this week has come full circle. I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to share principles and precepts rooted in the same Jerusalem Gospel my ancestors embraced. To go home to “Christian Home.” And I pray to have a small part in passing on that legacy. Who knows? Maybe a little boy or girl will one day have a grandson who will come back to preach the gospel at “Christian Home.”

You, too, are leaving a legacy. What legacy are you leaving your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren?

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman