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Robert L. Welch
Born July 6, 1937– Born Again September, 1979
My journey with the LORD began in 1955, after graduating from high school, I joined the Navy. During my tour of duty in Memphis, Tenn. I would go to the Service Men’s Club at the YMCA to get a free lunch while on liberty. On one occasion, a Sunday evening, while I was the only one there and shooting pool, I thought I heard men praying in an adjacent room so I stopped shooting pool because of the noise and waited until they finished. When I was about to leave, an elderly lady who was the attendant asked me if I would like to go to church with her and her husband next week, I thought the polite thing to do is to agree, and I did. The next Sunday, they picked me up at the “Y” and we proceeded to Belleview Baptist Church. It was crowded so we sat in the balcony. I don’t remember what the sermon was about, but it must have been about sin and being a sinner. I was terribly convicted to the point of being very angry and asked myself “who does that guy think he is, telling everybody they are sinners” So I left and waited outside for the couple to take me back into the city. Little did I know that this was even a bigger seed God was planting in me? Some time after this experience, I was on the bus from the base into the city when a Marine, I did not know, asked me if I would like to go to Youth for Christ Rally where they are going to be raffles for a free call home. So, I went with him. I now know it was a gospel meeting. I knew nothing about this kind of meeting. After the speaker had finished, people were asked if anyone wanting to be saved to raise their hand. So, I raised my hand, I do not remember that I knew why, but I did anyway. Someone met me and we proceeded to a room where he prayed but I do not remember if I prayed or not. If I did I don’t remember the content of his nor my prayer. However, after that experience I began to take a great interest in the bible and began to read it, the one my grandmother gave to me. Things seemed to be different until my girlfriend who I wanted to marry decided to go back to her former boy friend. So, I blamed God and thought he was not interested in what I wanted so I went back living for the world, as only a sailor could, and wanted nothing to do with God. I do not know if I was saved at that point or not, but I would guess I was not, but I knew that definitely I was a sinner and the life I was living was not good.
After my tour of duty in the Navy in 1959, I returned home and had already enrolled in Husson College in Bangor, ME in the Accounting program. I not only received a BS Degree in Accounting, I also found the woman that would be my wife. I married Karen Jane Crocker from Lincoln, ME on April 2, 1960
After graduation in 1963 it was off to Manchester, N.H. where I was employed as an accountant with Charles F. Rittenhouse, CPA’s for two years. Wanting to be nearer to home, in 1965 I accepted a position as an Internal Auditor with Casco Bank & Trust in Portland, Me. where I was later promoted to the official position of Assistant Internal Auditor.
It was in February of 1969 that my father died. In viewing his body in the casket, I asked myself “is this all there is to life, to work hard all your life skimp and save for the future and accomplish a few things and then die?” I really was questioning the meaning and purpose of life.
After the death of my father, to be closer to home, it was off to Bangor in June of 1969 the Providential Hand of God was at work. Because of my personality, if I had become certified, I would have been so driven that I probably would never had any room for God in a personal way, not knowing that God is sovereign and it was He that was moving. In my search for fame and fortune, I accepted a position as Assistant Auditor with Northeast Bancshares Association in Lewiston, ME in 1973 and in 1979 was promoted to Corporate Auditor.
Somewhere in life I learned that the important things in life were to “work hard” “manage money” “be successful”. This was the meaning and purpose of my existence. At this time my precious daughter began to be rebellious which I could not understand because I thought I was doing everything the way I was supposed to. However, in spite of working hard, acquiring a more than comfortable life style in terms of what money could buy, and achieving what was for me a reasonable level of success, I had no lasting deep inner peace and joy and began to question the value of life again and the standards I had used to guide my life up to this point. Did I really own the material things I acquired or did they really own and possess me? How long could I keep up this life style before I lost it all because I could not please the right people at the right time? God was about to bring forth fruit from all the seeds that He had planted in my life up to this point.
One of these seeds was a verse from the bible, Matthew 6:33, where Jesus said to seek God first and His righteousness and all these things (things I was worrying and troubled about especially lack of inner peace) would be added or provided to you. So, I began to search for God by going to different churches. In the meantime, God had saved Kay through an outreach program. She was working with a Christian Lady who invited her to a chalk art at East Auburn Baptist church. In Auburn, ME. She liked it So we decided to see what that church was all about. It was strange to us because the preacher did not wear a robe and he spoke mostly from the bible. So, I decided to check him out as to his credentials and invited he and his wife for dinner. The pastor, Dick Wrentzel, asked me if I was saved. I said I thought I was because of my experiences in Memphis but was not sure. He asked “would you like to be sure” and I said yes and we went down to the family room. Keep in mind that I had heard about “sin”, “Jesus”, “God” and “salvation” along with other biblical truths during my life up to now but did not believe. So, Pastor Wrentzel asked me if I believed what was reported in the news paper, and I said yes, he asked me if I believed that George Washington was real historical person, and I said yes. He then took the bible and had me read 1 John 5:13(These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.) which I read. Then he explained why John, as a reporter, wrote these things because he wanted me to know that I could believe in Jesus Christ for salvation because he had been an eye witness concerning the teachings and the events in Jesus’ life. Then it was as if a change took place in me and I realized and believed and was sure for the first time that what the Bible teaches is true. We then prayed and I knew that I believed.
We began attending that church on a regular basis. Kay was involved with Pioneer Girls and I was involved with boy’s Stockade. I was made a deacon and was trained as a counselor with the Billy Graham meetings that were to take place. I was having a bible study with the father and mother of some of the kids that came to Stockade. It was then I realized I did not know anything about the Bible and began to have an insatiable desire to know more about the Bible. Larry Cole began having a Bible study at our house with another couple and my interest in the Bible increased. Meantime at work, things became unbearable to the point where I had to resign. I was not only the Corporate Auditor but the Treasurer of the then decentralized four southern banks of the association. Before I was promoted to Treasurer, we had just completed an audit of the treasurer’s department which revealed that it was out of control and that correspondent bank accounts had not been reconciled for some time. To further turn the pressure up, the federal and State examiners were on board looking for answers from the then new holding company treasure who began to put pressure on me as treasurer of four of the banks in the association. Under unbearable pressure, I resigned and realized I was at a crisis point and a crossroads in my life. I could not find another position after working through employment agencies and sending out numerous resumes, so my dear wife suggested that this might be a good time to formally study the Bible. That was music to my ears. We prayed, talked to each other and to others and believed that it was God’s direction to enroll in Philadelphia College of Bible. It was a scary time for us because it was completely out of character for me to do anything risky and in faith. We tested the waters to see if God would close that door for any of the things we tested. He didn’t.
So now it was off to collage again at 45 years old. I graduated in 1985 with a BS degree in Bible. I had no idea what plans God had or has for me. I believed that The Spirit of God gives gifts to believers with which to serve Him and the body of Christ. I was struggling to know what gift or gifts He gave to me. After much struggle, prayer, experience and confirmation I believe that my motivational gift is encouragement and my ministry gift is teaching.
Still seeking God’s direction, we were accepted as missionary candidates but it didn’t seem to be right. Now that may not have been the case, but that is the way it appeared to us at the time. In addition, I did not have peace about being “supported” while those we would be ministering to would have to struggle to provide for their family. In addition, I took great comfort in the fact the Paul did not look to others to support him and that he supported himself for the most part.
We thought N.H. would be our field of endeavor. While still in PA we visited an assembly where a classmate of mine was the pastor. A couple from Concord, N.H. was visiting and said that the Assistant Pastor at their church was retiring and that the church was looking for a replacement. So, we decided to venture out to see what God may provide. Within a short time, the pastor of the First Baptist Church wanted to meet with us to explore the possibility of becoming the Assistant Pastor. Apparently, he thought that the next level of meeting with the deacons/elders was in order, which we did meet with them. After their approval it was brought before the church body and we were accepted as interim assistant pastor. In that capacity, I enjoyed visiting the elderly in their homes, visiting those in the hospital and holding bible studies with existing members, as well as instructing new believers on church membership and candidates for baptism, and participated in a prison ministry of bible study with the inmates.
It was here I learned that the ministry God had for me was a non-vocational, non-traditional pastor in a non-denominational assembly. In searching, I discovered a group of believers known by some as “Plymouth Brethren” that seemed to be closer to the biblical pattern of gathering together. I had many opportunities there to teach the word of God which I enjoyed immensely. However, I discovered that there understanding of the gospel was synergistic as it was the work of God combined with the will of the totally depraved that saves a person rather than God alone. The last message preached was at the regular gospel meetings on John 6:22-59 when the leading elder said I was preaching “Calvinism” So I continued to serve whenever and wherever opportunity presented itself which led to a local assembly where I was asked and agreed to teach a men’s bible study which I did for a year. But the second year I had prayerfully wanted to teach the Doctrines of Grace from the Gospel of John but was prohibited as again it was not acceptable with the pastor as he deemed it to be “Calvinism”. My wife and I have held children’s meetings in our home, I have taught at other children’s meetings, preached at the funeral services of family and friends, as well as a marriages and marriage renewal ceremony etc.
I have come to believe and trust in the Sovereignty of God who is able to bring to pass His will in all things.
I try to keep as sharp as I can in the word of God, to remain teachable, to be ready always to minister the word of God whenever or wherever opportunity may present itself and to be yielded only to the word of God and not to man. Presently, I have opportunities to pulpit supply through Inter Church Ministries of New England and hopefully in the local assembly where I attend. Soli Deo Gloria
Military Experiences
Apr 1956 - Apr 1958
Disbursing Clerk Striker
Disbursing Clerk
Responsible for Maintaining Pay records of ships company, procuring payroll from local bank, preparing pay lists and verifying payment chits and cash payment.
Deployments
(2 years) 1957 - 1959
DESRON 28 ASW Atlantic Fleet
Academic Degrees
Academic Degrees
Personal Information
Interests
Christianity
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