South Georgia pastor has given up fried chicken and 170 pounds

Recent reports indicate that for the first time in United States history today's younger generation will most likely have a shorter lifespan than their parents. The reason: obesity. Diets and weight loss programs abound, but the percentage of overweight people continues to increase.

Therefore, John Childers' story should be an inspiration to those who need to become better stewards of the "temple" (body) God has entrusted to them.

Today, John Childers weighs in at a svelte 170 pounds. Discipline in exercise and food choices is key, he says.

Childers graduated from the University of Georgia where he served as the sports editor of The Red and Black student newspaper. While at UGA he covered three NCAA championships (football, basketball, and tennis) in the early 1980s and thoroughly enjoyed his role as an emerging journalist. However, it was during those days as a student in Athens that Childers began to sense that God was calling him into full-time ministry.

Childers earned his Master of Divinity degree at Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas where he managed a YMCA fitness center. He admitted, "I was in excellent shape during seminary. I exercised at work and played basketball at the seminary recreation center regularly."

During the early years of ministry following seminary, John Childers found it hard to turn down food at pot-luck dinners or find healthy alternatives at youth events. The result was the Washington pastor ballooning to 344 pounds.

After graduation, Childers was called to serve as associate pastor in education and youth ministry at First Baptist Church in Monroe. The new seminary graduate confessed, "The time demands and stress of that position combined with the generally unhealthy foods associated with youth ministry (pizza, burgers and more pizza) started my weight increase."

The weight increase continued during the six years of Childers' pastorate at First Baptist Church in Vienna. In March of 1999 Childers became pastor of Washington's First Baptist Church and continued gaining weight, but in the fall of 2002 he decided to change his lifestyle.

The First Baptist pastor explained, "The entire time I was overweight I never allowed myself to be content with my obesity. Some people will say that you need to be 'comfortable' with who you are and just get happy with being fat. That is wrong thinking. Being overweight is ultimately a choice."

Childers recalled, "A pastor I respect lost a great deal of weight about 12 years ago. When asked about it, he remarked, 'It's hard to tell folks to get their lives together when your stomach is hanging over your belt.'"

The choice that Childers made and the discipline he employed resulted in the loss of half his weight. In fact, he lost 160 pounds the first year.

Childers decided to have a thorough physical and weighed in at 344 pounds. The examining physician, Stan Coe, suggested the pastor begin meeting with the dietician in his office and the first meeting was set up for October 16, 2002.

Childers was placed on the American Diabetes Association/American Heart Association diet, a low fat diet of 1,800 calories with lots of fruits and vegetables. The pastor remembered, "The dietician told me that there was one change that I could make immediately - cut out all fried foods.

"As a Baptist preacher that sounded at first like a starvation diet," exclaimed Childers, "because we fry everything! But this one change made a big difference."

The total weight loss program included a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise each day. Childers had difficulty doing the 30 minutes of exercise at first, but he found that he could do 10 minutes at a time and that is where he started. However, it was not long until he was exercising up to 30 minutes at one time by walking and the use of a Nordic Track cross country ski machine.

Eating at public functions and church dinners was a challenge, but Childers made adjustments and before long the lifestyle change was in full effect.

Support from the church

The Washington church was very supportive of Childers. After losing the first 50 pounds the deacons took up a collection among themselves to provide a new suit for their pastor. Childers expressed with delight, "We celebrated all along the journey together as a church. I didn't spend a great deal of time talking about the weight loss, but obviously when you stand in front of people every week they notice the changes taking place."

Childers related, "I imagine my losing this weight helped people see their pastor as a fellow sinner wrestling with the same struggles they face. I do know that my success has encouraged others in the church and community."

Childers continued, "I needed to lose more than 150 pounds and that seemed impossible. You can't lose that much in a week or even a few months. But even after losing 20 pounds I was elated. The joy is in the journey. Don't get discouraged because you have a long way to go. Just get started and stick with it."