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In 1949, Ted's family moved from northern Iowa to Boone to start a photography business. During its years of operation from
1949 to 1987 "Welch Studio" served several generations of central Iowa families.
A lot of who Ted is, as a person, is due to his upbringing in this environment where he played, worked and learned both family
and business values under the direction of his parents.
Ted's Father, Frank E. Welch passed away in December of 2008 and his Mother, Juanita in June of 2015. Both of them were Christians
and lived a long life.
Mistakes were made along the way, such
as the time when the cookie jar was raided and broke in the process with the culprit caught in the act. But,overall life in the Welch household was happy, except for bath times.
FAMILY TIMES
Most things were done as a family
unit. Frequently, they got together with Ted's Uncle Don, Aunt Jean and their family along with his Grandmother Johnson. Christmas
was always a special time!
The photography business required a lot of work. Life could get hectic
during the busy season from fall to Christmas and in the Spring. But
there was always summer vacations as a family. In 1957 a homemade popup camper was purchased and towed behind the Buick. With
the door shut and the top down it looked like a spare gas tank for the Buick. There was a lot of fun times camping!
Several years later Ted's parents upgraded to a regular camping trailer and then to a motor home.
WORK ETHIC
A strong work ethic was learned by helping in the family business
from the time Ted was around five years old. He started by learning to mix the products needed to produce photographs using
a five gallon jar and a stir stick made from an old broom handle. When Ted was ten years of age he obtained a paper route,
but still worked at home as needed. This continued until Ted was sixteen when he started working at the local Safeway
Grocery Store. t
When Ted was younger it took most of a Saturday
for several neighborhood boys to move a large pigeon coop from down the alley to the cement pad at the back of the lot.
The boys enclosed it with wood of various kinds and sizes. It wasn't beautiful by any means but Ted's parents
let it reside near the alley. It kept him and the other boys busy and out of mischief, at least most of the
time!
| Partially built clubhouse. |
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| We entered it from the top side. |
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| Old Central Christian Church |
CHURCH LIFE
Church was an important part of life and our family was present
every Sunday unless sick or out of town. We started out Methodists, but when the preacher didn’t visit Grandma Johnson
in the Hospital, the family joined his Mother’s home Church in Boone.
TIMES OF TRANSITION
As he grew his interests changed. Even fishing with his Grandma
wasn’t the same. She was somewhat miffed that he chose dating young ladies over our river excursions of fishing
for Catfish.
After acquiring his drivers license a small antique business
was started while continuing to work at the grocery store.
Following graduation from Boone High School in 1965, Ted attended one semester of college and then worked for the Iowa Hiway Commission for a short period of time.
The United States Air Force was a viable option in
June of 1966 for two reasons: one, Ted didn’t know what he wanted to do in life and two, the Army had plans for him
as his draft number was getting close to being drawn. He thought it wise to enlist in the Air Force. After basic training
Ted ended up at Westover Air Force Base in Chicopee, Massachusetts. Little did he know that during his four year hitch he
would find what he was looking for in life.
GOD WORKING IN MY LIFE
Another important event was the birth
of Ted's first born son, Ted Jr., in December of 1967. At the time of his birth he was probably as close to being an atheist
as is possible. However, when Ted held his newborn son in his arms for the first time he knew there had to be a God.
Several weeks later Ted had a dream and from that dream he realized that he was not worthy to have a relationship with Christ.
Somehow, Ted had missed the truth of Christ even though he had grown up in Church, was baptized twice (once as a Methodist and once in the Christian Church) and had been a Church member.
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| The building which housed Tabernacle Baptist Church |
| Ted & Sgt. Humes, 2005 |
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MY SALVATION
Shortly after Ted's son was born he changed career fields.
At his new duty station he became acquainted with a Staff Sergeant who was a devout Christian. Over a period of several months
Sgt Humes faithfully and patiently witnessed to Ted on a regular basis. Many times he invited him to attend his Church which
met in an old pizza parlor not far off base. Ted thought they were holy rollers as you could hear the congregation singing
when the doors were open as you drove by on a warm day. Finally, Sergeant Humes talked him into going to Church with him.
So it was, on the third Sunday in June in 1968 that Ted knelt at an old wooden pew and asked Christ to forgive him of his
sins and to come into his life. Immediately, Ted's life started to change for the better and instead of hating Church, he
loved attending. Ted has many fond memories of events that occurred in that small building. It was far from fancy, but
God’s Spirit was present as His Word was shared.
| Tabernacle Baptist Church 1999 |
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Eventually, land was
purchased and a beautiful new facility built. Only a few people he knew are still present at Tabernacle Baptist Church;
but the old story of God’s grace and love given through Christ is still being taught and preached.
CALL TO THE MINISTRY & EDUCATION
Before Ted was discharged from the Air Force he surrendered to preach and attended
Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri where he received his degree in Theology in 1977.
STARTING OF A MISSION CHURCH
Following graduation from college Ted started a mission Church in
a small Minnesota town about thirty miles southwest of Minneapolis. A meeting place was secured and within two years they
were averaging around 60 persons in Sunday morning worship.
| Ordination Service June, 1979 |
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It was there
that Ted was ordained into the ministry by fellow ministers from several neighboring Baptist Churches.
In December of 1980 Ted resigned his position
as Minister of the mission Church and served as an Associate Pastor in another work in Minneapolis. He stayed in the ministry
for two more years and then left his calling between 1982 to 1993. Those were tough times which brought much pain which included
divorce. God’s Grace, Mercy and Love brought him through that period in his life.
GOD GIVES LOVE &
GRACE IN MARRIAGE AND MINISTRY
In November of 1990 Ted married a former classmate, Janet Whiteman. She
is the love of his life and a wonderful faithful partner in marriage and ministry. Their life together is a marriage
which God arranged, but that is another story.
| Ted & Jan United In Marriage November, 1990 |
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In college Noel Smith, a wise professor, shared
these words: "If you can do anything other than be a minister and be happy doing it, then God hasn’t called you
to preach." How well Ted learned that lesson! In 1988 he started doing fill-in preaching at various Churches in Iowa.
Upon Ted’s marriage to Jan, she encouraged him to return to the ministry full-time. Many discussions occurred due to
her and his Mother’s opinions and advice on the subject of ministry. Eventually our God made it plain what he was to
do and Ted returned to the ministry. In August
of 1993 God opened the door to minister at Oakland Christian Church in Oakland, Iowa where he served there for 9 years and
5 months. Then Jan and Ted went to Panhandle, Texas to Pastor at Panhandle Christian Church for 2 years. To say that ministry
was challenging is an understatement and in 2005 God led them back to Iowa where he ministered at Zearing Christian Church
in Zearing, Iowa until September of 2009. Ted has found that God leads in strange ways sometimes and on September 23rd, 2009
a move was made again due to God's leading to Fillmore Christian Church in Fillmore, Missouri. Then in January of 2015, Ted
and Jan moved again, but this time to Macedonia, Iowa. This was a different move as Ted did not have a Church prior to moving.
A good friend, another Minister by the name of John Boatman, had suggested early in November of 2014 that Ted and Jan should
go ahead and move to be closer to family letting God supply the place of ministry after the fact. This was a different process
for them and our God was faithful just as He promises in the Holy Scriptures. Just prior to moving to Macedonia Ted was called
to be the Interim Pastor of a Church in Red Oak, Iowa.
As of June 1, 2017 Ted retired from fulltime Ministry. For 20 some years Ted has ministered in smaller churches which were
struggling in ministry. Of those four Churches he has served in the last twenty years, three have returned to a healthy state
of viable ministry Spiritually, numerically and financially. This has been his calling and passion but even in retirement
he would like to continue ministry on a part-time basis either as an Interim or preaching on an occasional basis.
God is GOOD, ALL THE TIME!
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