Meet the Pastor
CHARLES WELDON BROOKS
Charles Weldon Brooks born December 19, 1959 is a native of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He is the seventh of eight
children born to the late William C. and Ruby Sorrell Brooks. At
the age of five, Charles lost his mother and moved to Raleigh, North
Carolina to be reared by his grandparents the late Weldon and Grace
Sorrell. While in Raleigh, Charles was raised in the Manly Street
United Church of Christ presently known as Macedonia New Life Church.
There he served on the Usher Boards, Youth Fellowship, Youth Choir,
Sunday School and Ministerial Staff.
In 1978, Charles graduated from Broughton High School and began a successful study of history and government at Saint Augustine's College in Raleigh. In September of 1979 he answered the call and preached his initial sermon under then Pastor D.A. Peace, Sr. While in college, Charles was called to serve as Pastor of the Pleasant Union United Church of Christ in Raleigh. After serving the church for three years Charles graduated from Saint Augustine's College with a B.A. degree in History and Government in 1982. He entered The School of Theology at Virginia Union University where he earned a Masters of Divinity degree in 1987. During his tenure in seminary, he served two years as interim Pastor of the Providence United Church of Christ in Chesapeake Virginia. Upon graduation he returned to North Carolina to serve as Pastor of the Children's Chapel United Church of Christ until July of 1990.
In 1990 Charles accepted the challenge to lead a great congregation in Raleigh, the Poplar Springs United Church of Christ. Since this union, the church has grown from 300 to 1100 disciples. In 1996 they built and added to the old structure, a new sanctuary and educational wing at a cost of 1.5 million dollars. Today the ministry spans across Wake County and throughout Eastern North Carolina. Worship services are broadcast weekly on television and radio stations in Raleigh, Garner and Smithfield.
Charles is former President of the Southern Conference of the United Church of Christ. There he also served as Vice President, and Chairman of the Board of Directors. During his tenure the Conference was 306 churches strong. He also served the Eastern North Carolina Association of the Conference as Chairman of the Church and Ministry Commission (two terms), and delegate to the United Church of Christ General Synod (two terms). He served the United Church of Christ as a member of the Board for Homeland Ministries, Conference Staff Search Committees and as a member of the Board of Trustees of Elon University in Elon College, North Carolina.
Pastor Brooks received an Associates degree in Applied Science for Funeral Service at Fayetteville Tech Community College. He is a fully licensed mortician and life insurance agent in the State of North Carolina. Presently, he serves on the Board of the Garner Educational Foundation.
With all the success he has achieved, Pastor Brooks declares that his greatest accomplishment was to marry his friend Regina M. Brooks, the mother of his three children, Charles II, Renita and Briana.