There is an ancient African proverb that says: “It takes a Village to Raise a Child.” On Sunday, February 18th of this year, for sixteen year-old Wesley Channell and the rest of the South Sound Church of Christ, this phrase now has new meaning. It was on this day that Wesley made the decision to be baptized into Christ. After church had concluded an hour earlier, a group of about one hundred people (and some children) when down to Ruston Way in Tacoma, Washington, to see Wesley have his sins washed away. It was a historic day that will be remembered not only for Wesley but also for the whole church. By his parents serving as Deacons for the South Sound Church of Christ and his older sister, Whitney, already a part of the teen ministry in the church, Wesley’s baptism was a day that many people in the church had prayed for diligently. In addition to their prayers, many people in the church also remembered teaching Wesley about God in Kids Kingdom, babysitting him and his sisters on various occasions, and watching him grow from a young boy into a young man who loves God with all his heart. It might take a village to raise a child but it takes a church help others become Christians. Praise Be to God for Wesley’s salvation and his incredible Church!
Marcus Wallace 3/2/2007
