Sabbath, Sept. 23, was a very special day for Jake, Lynda, and Shelby Wheaton as they officially joined the Republic Church family through baptism.
The story begins when Lynda was a child and attended the church with her parents, Ken and Diane Dempsey.
More recently, after Lynda attended an Eight Weeks to Wellness class, she began coming to prayer meetings at Dan and Linda Hovanski's home. Dan and Linda then invited Jake and Lynda to go through the Binding the Wounds series. They agreed to go through the series, which took nearly two years. Because of the healing that occurred in their lives, they decided to proceed with Bible studies and baptismal studies with Dan and Linda. During this time Shelby, 11, prepared and presented a sermon at the church.
Rick McCombs, currently pastoring at the Deer Park and Chewelah churches, came to Republic to perform the baptisms. McCombs pastored at Republic in its early years. Lynda (then Dempsey) attended during some of that time as a child. McCombs also performed Jake's and Linda's wedding.
Jake works at Boise Cascade and as an answer to prayer has been given Sabbaths off. Lynda has driven a school bus for the Curlew School District for several years, but this year she will be home schooling Shelby, who is in the sixth grade. Shelby’s desire is to be a pastor.
From left: Dan and Linda Hovanski, stand in support of newly baptized members, Lynda, Shelby and Jake Wheaton, with Rick McCombs, the pastor who baptized them, in the rear.
