Brian was born on March 28, 1961 in Dayton, Ohio, but life was tenuous for him from the very beginning. He and his twin brother, Jeff, were born six weeks early and the doctors had trouble getting Brian to breathe on his own. In fact, one of the doctors informed his father that perhaps they might want to wait on getting two of everything for you see Brian wasn't expected to make it. But God had another plan. Though Brian was placed in an incubator for several weeks, he made great progress physically and finally was allowed to go home to start his new life.
Though his beginning was rough, the rest of his early childhood was rather smooth, normal, and wonderful. He lived there in Dayton until he was thirteen, enjoying such things as little league, flying model airplanes, playing kick the can, building forts along a nearby creek, and even playing some hockey here and there. It was a nice childhood. Spiritually speaking, he and his family went to church once in a while--at Christmas, Easter and a few other times, but there was no relationship with God.
By the time Brian was twelve life became difficult for his entire family as his father began to suffer terrible bouts of depression. Hospitalizations and heavy medications became the order of his father's life and finally resulted in the divorce of his parents in 1974.
That same year, Brian's mother took him, Jeff, his sister Michele, and their dog and moved to southwest Florida where they were with relatives. After only a couple of months in their new location, however, tragedy struck the family when Brian's uncle (his mother's brother) died in a terrible work-site accident. Then, if that was not enough, another serious event occurred that would shock and change Brian Weaver's life. One morning just before Christmas of that same year (1974), Brian woke up and heard the hushed tones of his mother talking on the telephone. He also could hear that she was crying. Something was terribly wrong. He waited for her to get off the phone. When she did, she sat the twins down and informed them that their father had just taken his own life. It was a terrible blow to Brian and his family--something that would bring them grief in more ways than one. Brian not only had to deal with the pain and anger of what happened, but the embarrassment and the stigma as well when neighbor kids found out the news about the new kid on the block.
When high school rolled around, Brian began to develop some bad patterns of behavior, including heavy alcohol use. But, oddly enough, he and his brother joined the school choir (at the prompting of his mother) and found that it not only came naturally to him, but also brought him joy. He sang contemporary songs as well as classic choral pieces. His choir teacher had a huge impact on him from the beginning. She encouraged him and pushed him with many challenges to develop the gifts he possessed. "Before I knew it," Brian says, "Jeff and I were leaders of the choir, even though we were only sophomores." He was even selected as a tenor in the All-Florida High School Choir. Brian's life in music had begun in great fashion. God was preparing His future leader, though the young man still had many struggles ahead of him.
During this time, and for years to come, Brian struggled with a dualistic life he still was drinking and going to parties with friends, yet he sensed a deep call on his heart to come to God and accepted the Lord when he was 17. It was the inner struggle that almost every one of us has fought, albeit in different ways.
In 1979, after graduating from high school, Brian and Jeff moved to California to start out on their own. They lived with an uncle for a while, attended church with them and began to grow spiritually. He attended college for a while, joined some church outings and then moved in with a group of guys to be more on his own. He got a job at a pizza place, rarely ate, hung out with the wrong people, and began wasting his life away.
Then in 1983, Brian met a lady whose husband owned a telephone installation company. He got a job with that firm and established financial stability for the first time. However, something greater occurred while working with that company he met his future wife, Kelly. It didn't happen right away, but in time they realized that they were meant to be together. They attended a Calvary Chapel together, went through pre-marital counseling, and were married in February 1986. They bought a home in Oceanside in August 1987 and began attending Calvary Chapel of Oceanside when it was still a small church.
But Brian's walk with the Lord continued weakly during this period his battles and struggles continued and he hid that aspect of his life from his new wife. He hung out with the wrong friends, and allowed his gift of song to remain unused and undeveloped. But that would change one day when Kelly urged him to join the Christmas choir. The worship leader at that time heard his voice and quickly asked him to join the worship team. Brian was overjoyed and yet fearful. He put it off for several months but, after months of being pursued by the worship leader and by God's leading, he finally relented and joined the team. It was around this time that he began to sense a strange and growing thought in his heart--that he would one day be a worship leader. It seemed like an unreachable dream, considering his lifestyle and struggles. But God had His man, and was drawing that man closer toward Him.
In 1993, the breakthrough came when Brian finally realized how helpless he was in his struggle. He turned over his entire life to God and made known to all the important people in his life just how horrible his struggles had been. Even greater, he bowed his heart and cried outward and upward to the God of all grace and healing. And God heard his cries. There was a change in his heart. He was a new man with a new walk. And things began to really happen.
In late 1994, the worship leader left to take a position elsewhere and Pastor Ralph brought Brian "on board" as co-leader for worship. He remained co-leader, preparing for services, organizing choirs and interfacing with Pastor Ralph until early 1998 when he was brought on staff as the Worship Pastor of Calvary Chapel of Oceanside. Pastor Brian has brought a load of gifts to our fellowships that continue to bless our congregation. Brian's life is a shining testimony to God's loving grace and enduring patience; and his life further testifies how lives can be redeemed and transformed by God's awesome power.
Brian and Kelly have been blessed with their three children, Chris, Amanda and Katie. |
