Your Church History

[Wilsonwas]

I was born into a UPCI church. OR rather the people I called parents for many years were married in Bro. Witherspoon's church in '45 which I guess is very close to the beginning of UPC.

In '64 a young 20 year old woman from Illinois tangled with a married Air Force service man. The result of that was an unwanted pregnancy. As she traveled about the country she ran into a UPC preacher. We are unsure if this was Bro. Gray in San Diego, or someone else somewhere. He knew of my parents somehow.

They had experienced the loss of an unborn child, and were told they could not have any. This pastor saw a chance to give everyone something they needed. Somehow the young woman made her way to San Diego. She lived with the Gray's for a few months - and then gave birth to me. She handed me to my parents 3 days later. She then made her way to the bio-dad somewhere in Montana, he wanted nothing to do with her or the baby. So -she returned to CA. On the way she married another man -also Airforce. She signed the final paperwork giving me to a UPCI family in Feb. of 65. At that time my name was also changed.

In 68 they moved us all to Detroit. My dad wanted to work for the auto industry. We attended Bro. Leaman's church in Detroit until about 76. In 72 my dad had a heart attack at a church picnic. He made mom drive him home -and was too stubborn to go to the hospital. A few hours later as I played outside - the pastor and others came to the house, and prayed for Dad. He felt good enough after that to sit up and tell them of my catching a 4lb Bass while fishing with him. The church folk left -and mom made dinner.
She called me in and asked me to wake Dad for dinner. I tugged his arm, but I could not wake him. There was a great amount of activity for a bit, the ambulance showed up -running only lights - no siren. They carried my dad to the ambulance - and it was later that evening I learned he had had a second heart attack - and passed on to his reward.

Mom stayed with the same church until the worship wars caused her to move everytime a chuch started to move to anything like modern worship music. This continued until I married. We -my wife and I, attended nowhere for a time. You all are familier with the story of several bad churches and song books etc.

I received the holy ghost at 13 - for the first time - but by 18 I had lost my zeal, and my beleif in any of it. Do to experience and starting college - a bad combination- led me at one service to a point - where I made a dare to God. I was so lost and so confused. I was sitting on the left side of the church, main entrance was to the Right. I prayed and said - Lord if you are real, you will not let me get to the door. You will stop me somehow. And if I get to the door - I will never enter another church. I do not recommend this method, but I can also assure you - I never made it to the door. Something hit me and I felt like I left the area -but in fact I was stuck at the back of the church, midway to the door - arms in the air speaking in tounges for 20 min or more. I will never doubt God again.

The rest is just normal history -

Only 5 years ago did I learn the actual events prior to 1968. I also learned that my bio-mother had 1 older child, a girl, and another boy, and girl, she later gave birth to by her husband she met in Utah. It was a secret known by all including several of the children in the church from 68 on - that was kept until I married. Mom told me about a month before the wedding - that I was adopted. The other details were kept by the state of California in a still sealed document. I obtained these records - by the kindness of some folks that work inside and provide these services to those willing to look hard enough.

As a result - I now have an older sister, and a younger brother and sister that I know and love. Found through Facebook and other sites, and good old mailing of letters. God, in his wisdom, has returned me to the family I came from after the adoptive family have almost entirely passed on. Including cousins and everything. They welcomed me back - with no questions.

I still struggle with issues related to being adopted, you can read the blogs of others, to know that there are some. I struggle with the issues that led me to fight with the Lord, and I still love nothing more than a great song service that breaks out in a worship fest.