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- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 8 Jul 2007.
This young man wild about his work
At Newport Church of God just before the Wednesday night services are youth minister Dustin Wilds and his wife, Letisha (Wheeler) Wilds. Their children are Elijah, age 3, and the twins: Emma, at left, and Ethan, who were born on Sept. 12. Elijah celebrated on June 10.
By: DAVID POPIEL
Source: The Newport Plain Talk
07-08-2007
Early morning showers did little to help the parched fields and pallid lawns around out hometown, but there has been relief for the folks taking a dip in the cool, blue city park pool thanks to Timothy Dockery and his staff. The youngsters are soaking up all the water they can for a buck a dip and two for the broader surface area of adults. Others found refreshment at the mid-week Chamber of Commerce fairgrounds beach party. As for me, a cold ice cream will do or air conditioned office. And there I was stationed when a boyish-faced fellow walked in asking to see the editor. He was wishing to find out about using the Plain Talk parking lot for a church-sponsored yard sale. At first, I though Dustin Wilds was a member of the youth group and gauged him to be about 20. Actually, he is director of youth and Christian education at Newport Church of God and is 33. Some of you know his parents, Nanette Wilds and Parker Wilds, of Parrottsville. I remember Nanette from National Bank of Tennessee. She retired seven or eight years ago and is having fun being a grandmother. Formerly a Lankford, she worked at Parks Belk before going to National Bank. Parker works at Meco in Greeneville. Dustin has a younger brother, Dennis Wilds, who teaches at Edgemont School. After we continued to talk, he mentioned that his wife is R.J. Wheeler's daughter, Letisha. That's when it rang a bell that there are twins in the family. Dustin and Letisha have a son, Elijah, age 3, and twins, Emma and Ethan, who are about nine months old now. You may have seen their photo in the Plain Talk. Dustin has not always been active in church work. Maybe it was the world changing events of Sept. 11, 2001. He had just gotten married about this time, though Letisha grew up in the Church of God. For many years he worked at Old Dominion freight company in White Pine and was dock supervisor, when he finally took the job in Jan. 2006 at Newport Church of God. You may know the new pastor there, Bishop John Hughes. Even before last year, Dustin was preaching because he had obtained his entry-level credentials through the church to become an Exhorter. He said the next level is the Bishop's license and the final step is Ordained Bishop, which is the Church of God credential held by both Hughes and R. J. Wheeler. "We have an awesome group of young people" numbering between 25 and 30 who attend the Wednesday night youth sessions at the church located on the old highway behind Dairy Queen. I asked what the church called the youth group and he said, "ALTARed," referring to the change undergone by Christians. I had seen the name on the back window of some vehicles in Newport and now know why. The yard sale is planned for August 11, a Saturday morning. We will remind you that week. The week before the ALTARed youth are also having a pancake breakfast to raise funds for youth projects and community work. Who are some of the adults that work with the youth? You know Sherry Freeman, who is an accountant with the gas utility. Jamie and Shandi Wheeler work with the youth, as does Ron Samples, who is music director. Ron also operates his own siding and house guttering business. It's good to see so many young folks getting involved with the church's wholesome program. I came across this tidbit to share from Judy Wright to show what you might find in a local store. "Last week I bought a bag of potatoes at Food City and when I got home I opened them to put in my potato bin. Right there on top. I noticed was this heart-shaped potato. Some people think I'm a great cook. They can't make their food taste like mine so I often tell them to put a little more heart into it. That night for our supper, I baked the potato in the oven and had barbecue ribs and my husband, Jimmy complimented me on the meal and asked me how I got the potato shaped like that. I told him I just put some heart into it and he just smiled and said it was one of my best meals ever. I learned long ago a cook doesn't have to reveal all her secrets." Late in the week, I finally got to talk to Carol Johnson, who has been at home more than a week now after weeks of pain and hospitalization with a lung problem. She said the experience showed her what a wonderful hometown we enjoy and could she write about her hospital stay, illness, and how folks responded to provide that extra caring we are well known for. I agreed she had a good idea so you will be reading about her first-hand account of how folks came to her and the Dr. Ken Johnson family to help. It was appropriate, for after all, he has spent decades looking after us. In plain talk, it's good to be young and charged with a mission that has a holy goal because only blessings can come from these servants.
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Abt 1974 - (~ 50 years)