Posted on 03/05/2005 7:26:15 PM PST by nypokerface
KIBBUTZ KINNERET, Israel - Former Korn guitarist Brian "Head" Welch was baptized Saturday in the Jordan River, just weeks after quitting his band, drug habits and rock-and-roll lifestyle for religion.
Welch, a founding member of the multi-platinum band, and about 20 other white-robed Christian pilgrims from a Bakersfield, Calif., church were immersed by their pastor, Ron Vietti.
Welch said the ritual baptism had washed away his anger. "You know when you get angry and it builds up? I felt like hurting someone before, now I feel like hugging people," he said.
Vietti said Welch — who has "Jesus" tattooed across his knuckles and "Matthew 11:28," tattooed prominently across his neck — is already attracting a new group of young people to the message of Christianity.
"In recent weeks people have committed their lives to God because they're so inspired by his story," Vietti said.
Korn announced Welch's resignation last month after 13 years with the band. Welch said he had become increasingly depressed and drug-addicted in recent years, but that religion helped him quit.
He said he plans to release more music without the band.
"My songs are God saying things to me, him talking to people. He's going to use me to heal people and people are going to be drawn to it, just watch, they will be," he said.
Thousands of pilgrims are baptized annually in the Jordan River where, according to Biblical tradition, John the Baptist baptized Jesus.
Welcome to the family of God!
I have nothing against devotion to God, but I have personally seen people swing from one extreme to the other, and the end result hasn't been good.
I hope this news will reach and help my daughter's friend, she was a big Korn fan, and had fallen off the straight and narrow to a bad degree.
God bless him!
I don't understand your comment. Care to elaborate?
sundero
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Pastor Ron Vietti, right, accompanied by other pilgrims, baptizes ex-metal guitarist Brian 'Head' Welch, 34, center, a founding member of the multi-platinum metal band Korn from the United States, at Jordan river's baptismal site near the Kibbutz Kinneret, in northern Israel, Saturday March 5, 2005. Welch was baptized in the Jordan river, just weeks after quitting his band, drug habits and rock-and-roll lifestyle for religion. Thousands of pilgrims are baptized annually in the revered river where according to the Biblical tradition, John the Baptist baptized Jesus. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis) |
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I surely hope God protects him. His conversion is beautiful, but the journey will be hard at times.
A person with an unstable personality needs the Lord just as much if not more, than the next guy. Becoming a Christian doesn't instantly transform your personality. That takes time, healing and we never reach perfection.
In the meanwhile we should cut this guy slack where and as needed. He's on the right track now.
The example I remember best was a personal friend who went from the drug lifestyle to hardcore religion, became disillusioned after a time, and commenced years of flip-flopping between the two.
I don't think he has achieved peace of mind to this day. I see this partially as a failure on my part, due to my inablility to help him.
You know as of late, I am somewhat skeptical of all those hi-speed Jesus converts.
The reason I am saying that is because where I work, one of the guys pretended to be a Godly guy, was listening to some Cristian radio stations, and got fired because he was the biggest crook on the face of the Earth.
So much for trusting people, who pretend to be Christian, G0D obeying servants.
God Bless the cynics
I don't believe in relics, have no great interest in visiting 'the holy land', but an opportunity to be baptized in the Jordan would be hard to pass up. I wouldn't expect anything magical, but that would be cool. Much better than fasting 40 days in the same desert where Jesus fasted.
Amen to that since1868.
I was a hardcore, drug abusing, thug 13 years ago. My life changed instantly when I accepted Jesus as my savior. 13 years later I'm still a changed man, but not a perfect man, as so many non-Christians have pointed out. I love them anyway, just like Jesus does. This guy from Korn will be in my prayers. :-)
I'm thinking of DC Talk's song "What if I Stumble?" right now. It's a good example of how hard it is to be an example.
I wonder who can replace him in Korn. That guitarist had a certain very distinct sound that wil be almsot impossible to replace.
Good thing I am not a huge fan. (They are very talented though)
So this guy went all holy roller, huh?Interesting and unexpected. Well, I wish him luck, it seems like it was the right thing for him at the right time.
Bones
"That takes time, healing and we never reach perfection."
Amen. Conversion is just the first step on a lifelong journey. It is a hard read, but I recommend "Pilgrim's Progress" by John Bunyan. Truthfully, I have never made it all the way through this work, but it is a good read. At one time, next to the Bible, it was the most published book in English.
bump for later read.
I would be, too, if I had to sling the same cr@p that he did for 13 years. Korn is a truly horrible band from a genre that should be given its last rites, pronto.
Praise the Lord!
I hope he is with a church that will disciple him very well.
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