Apostolic Christian Church - A Race for Salvation

Part One

Sunday, July 18

Heidi Knapp struggles whether to cut short a stellar running career for God

The clock was ticking for Heidi Knapp.

Heidi Knapp before her performance at the IHSA girls state track meet at Charleston in 1998.

She was a top-ranked cross country runner and four-time track state champion at Eureka High School who faced a life transforming decision last spring. Prior to her senior track season, Heidi was favored to win an unprecedented fourth Class A state track title in the 3,200-meter run. A Division I collegiate scholarship was hers if she wanted it.

She also was a 17-year-old Apostolic Christian who feared going to Hell every day she delayed repenting and becoming converted, which is required of anyone joining the church. Because Apostolic Christians disapprove of competitive sports, she would acquiesce and retire from competitive running if she repented.

Repenting is the term used by Apostolic Christians to describe feeling sorrow over past sins. The process entails confessing those sins, making restitution and committing your life to God.

She doesn't consider the choice any more important or profound than those made by other Apostolic Christian teen-agers. The only difference would be that a decision to shorten her career for religious reasons would be publicized and scrutinized because her name and face have been mainstays in Central Illinois newspapers and TV sportscasts.

Heidi grew up on a Congerville farm homesteaded by her great-great-great-grandfather in the 1840s. The farm is nestled in rolling terrain where livestock smells permeate the air and crops grow as scruffy hedgerows allow.

The Knapp home sits on 2 1/2 acres tucked off of a dead end road several miles north of town. The farmstead's long winding gravel lane is lined with dozens of walnut, maple, ash and redbud trees sprouting from perfectly shaped dirt bowls cut from weedless sod. Annuals abound in patches interspersed on the manicured lawn, and in pots stacked and hung from the front porch of the modest one-story home in need of a coat of paint.

It was there Heidi learned to tell time, and how to race against it.

Her father was a distance runner at Eureka High School. Rick Knapp never accomplished the feats his daughter achieved, but retains sweet memories of competing, and the lasting influence his coaches had.

Rick continued to run after marrying his high school sweetheart and starting a family that culminated in eight children. Running soon became the family pastime. On Saturday mornings, the Knapps awakened early and headed for the nearest road race or fun run. The children learned what good finishing times were and began to better them, especially Heidi and older sister Mari, who rarely came home without medals or trophies.

Heidi excelled on Eureka's Junior High School track and cross country teams, though she knew her church did not embrace sports. The Apostolic Christian Church contends there is too much emphasis on athletics and that watching or participating in sports distracts believers from godly pursuits. Heidi prayed for God to take away her desire or talent if he didn't want her to compete. Her compulsion to run never subsided, nor did her success, which included a second-place state finish in the 1,600 meter run in her eighth-grade year.

All of the Knapp children have participated in some kind of sport be it wrestling, basketball, volleyball or football. Athletics teaches children discipline and teamwork, Rick and wife, Kathy, contend. It also keeps them out of trouble.

"We needed to give the kids the opportunity to experience what's there and pray that God would bring them into submission when they reached the age of accountability, knowing right from wrong," Kathy explained.

Rick remembers Heidi's first race. She was 8 and it was a 5K sweetheart run at Eastland Mall in Bloomington. He dropped her off at the starting line and she cried all the way to the finish. She liked running much better after that and did whatever it took to win. The first three times she competed in Peoria's Steamboat Classic, she threw up because she ran so hard. Her intestinal system finally matured and so did her times because the next four years she won her age division.

As she approached her freshman year, Heidi continued to work out with Rick who by now, could only keep up on a bicycle. During summers and weekends, Heidi would set the alarm for 5:30 and dutifully wake her sound-sleeping father. Even for a farmer, exercising that early was a chore, but Rick said it was worth every minute since the two forged a tight bond as they dissected competitors' strategies and race tactics.

Kathy took her turn as Heidi's training partner, only she drove a car that crept alongside. When they tired of the Congerville landscape, the duo headed toward Danvers or Carlock. Through the car window, the two immersed themselves in conversation about school, family and friends. It was a special time between Kathy and her sixth-born child.

The practice paid off. Several weeks into her first high school cross country season, the media labeled Heidi a freshman sensation. She broke numerous school and meet records including the Monmouth Cross Country Invitational course record which she bested by 46 seconds.

By mid-September, coach Ron Eeten touted Heidi as a state title contender, adding that she handled the pressure well because of her faith.

"She seems to have a good handle on what her priorities are. She's learned to accept things. She is less likely to worry about it (pressure) as other kids do," he said in a 1995 newspaper article.

Heidi captured the sectional title 27 seconds ahead of the second-place runner. At the Class A state meet, finished only 1 second behind the winner after being accidentally tripped with 200 meters to go.

Her inaugural track season was even more spectacular. At her first meet, the prestigious Joseph Cogdal relays, she blew away already impressed coach Don Samford by breaking a school and meet record in the 1,600 meter run. She shattered those records on a recently sprained ankle after running 800 meters in two relays.

Heidi at age 17.

"Tireless" "brilliant," "electrifies" were some of the superlatives used to describe her performances. Meet after meet she challenged upperclassmen, and time after time she beat them. To push herself further, Heidi began practicing with the boys' track team. Her male running partners chided her for commanding so much media attention. She ignored the hoopla because she didn't compete to get attention. She simply loved to run.

Again, she was heralded as a potential state champion. Heidi laughed at the prediction. Not until winning the 1,600 meter preliminaries did she consider herself a title contender in that event. But first there was the 3,200 to run.

On a beastly hot Saturday in Charleston, Heidi began the race with even strides and arms tucked close. She'd learned to block everything from her mind, the fans, the weather, the announcers. The only things she allowed in were the sounds of her parents' voices. Her father yelled her split times and her mother cheered her to run hard which she did, outlasting a senior from Princeville to win.

Later that day, Heidi competed against fresh legs in the 1,600. Many of her opponents had scratched from the 3,200 because of the heat. By the final lap, it was evident Heidi was struggling. TV commentators dismissed her from contention when she fell 10 seconds behind the leader. Even her father conceded defeat. Only Heidi maintained confidence in her reserve, and in her newfound ability to discard race plans and to run off of her instincts.

With 300 meters remaining, Rick leapt to his feet as his daughter began sprinting for the finish. The sprint has been labeled the "Knapp Kick" because he used the same strategy 30 years ago. She glided past the runner who had lead the entire race. The poor girl never saw Heidi coming. It was a goose-bump, chill-down-your-spine moment coaches and sports writers relish rehashing. It was unpredictable. It was pure Heidi.

After the media interviews and accolades subsided, Heidi was elevated from a rookie sensation to veteran state champion ripe for dethroning. She spent the following summer running nearly every day, no matter what the weather or injury. If hard work was responsible for her success, she figured hard work would sustain it.

Rick was increasingly conscious of how influential he had become. He was the last person Heidi consulted before the starting pistol sounded, and the first person to approach her during post race cool downs. He made workouts fun, but chose his words very carefully because she took them so literally. When she pushed herself in workouts, he worried about burnout. Somehow her love of running sustained her.

Heidi also was buoyed by a busy social life. Her meticulously arranged photo album is filled with pictures of she and her friends mugging for the camera. She is captured dyeing her hair, tanning in her two-piece swimming suit and dressed in long satin dresses for school dances. The photographs are framed with ribbons, and designs squiggled with colorful markers.

"This book contains most of the most treasured memories and people of my life. Be Careful!" Heidi wrote on the inside cover. On the opposite page, she printed, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways, acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5,6"

Heidi and her sister, Mari, ran together as young children.

Family photos also fill album pages. Those of the Knapp children, usually lined up on the sofa or front porch with arms intertwined, depict a loving family. Other pictures capture Heidi caressing her two younger sisters, or her nieces and nephews. The weddings of her older siblings are given prominent space, as are pictures of her parents including one at the top of the first page with the inscription, "Aren't they cute?"

Like other teenagers, Heidi clashed with her parents, especially her freshman year. She came and went when she wanted and didn't take "no" for an answer. If defying her parents didn't work, she manipulated them to get her way.

On prom night that year, she stayed out all night and didn't call home until the next morning. Kathy was angry but never said a word to Heidi, who later admitted she would have rather endured a tongue lashing than disappoint her parents.

"There were plenty of nights I drove around, checking out friends' houses looking for Heidi. There were times I didn't tell anybody what I was thinking, but the Lord. That's how I got through it," Kathy said.

Those prayers and sports kept Heidi out of more serious trouble. Kathy and Rick knew she was headstrong and temperamental, but they had confidence her tenderhearted, thoughtful nature would prevail.

After winning two state championships, the pressure to excel intensified. Any losses were considered upsets. Even when she won, her times were compared with her previous marks as if people were looking for chinks.

Heidi won most of her cross country contests as a sophomore, and placed third at the state meet. In track, Heidi repeated as state champion in the 3,200, and came within 4 hundreths of a second of retaking the 1,600 title.

A three-sport athlete her first two years, Heidi dropped basketball her junior year to concentrate on running. She ran well throughout the cross country season and placed third at the state meet. That spring, the 3,200 state title was hers again and she placed third in the 1,600. Commenting on her three-peat, Heidi told a reporter, "I'm very thankful to be where I'm at. I'm looking forward to next year."

Unfortunately Heidi sustained a foot injury at the state meet that would nag her the rest of her career.

It was about this time that Heidi felt God was urging her to repent, but she resisted because of her athletic pursuits. Becoming a church member is a life altering decision. Converts are expected to fully embrace the doctrinal and lifestyle standards based on biblical teachings. That means living a godly life that often differs from contemporary culture.

Though members make their own decisions about complying with church recommendations, they are asked to eschew TV, movies, the Internet and other things that promote unwholesome behavior. Believers are asked to dress modestly to reflect their spiritual sincerity. Men are instructed to maintain a clean cut appearance and avoid loud or sporty attire, including shorts. Women are to wear skirts or dresses and refrain from wearing makeup and jewelry.

Scripture instructs women to wear hair long. Church tradition discourages brightly colored hair ribbons and bows, or hairstyles that draw undue attention. Head coverings are required during prayer and prophesying, so some women wear them full time.

"The Bible says we are supposed to be a separate, peculiar people. If you don't, you are in danger of being drawn back into the world. Satan always has temptations, like alcohol. We're doing our best to live a holy and godly life," Kathy said.

Dating is forbidden. People can date prior to becoming members, which is what Kathy and Rick did. Single members socialize at church functions. If a man feels God is directing him to marry a female member, he asks the church elder to convey his marriage proposal. The woman prayerfully considers the proposition before relaying her answer.

Heidi knew these all were things she wanted someday, and it was what her parents wanted for her, though Kathy and Rick avoided discussing the subject so their daughter wouldn't feel pressured. Heidi pushed the issue aside and embarked on her senior year of high school.

Her final cross country season proved frustrating. Heidi continued to win meets, though several times she only mustered fifth- and eighth-place finishes.

"No one cared or knew what I was feeling. I had teammates and friends that made hurtful comments, like they were waiting for me to fall or get bumped," she said. "It got less fun. I was trying to please other people, not running for fun. I wanted to run without worrying about hitting a pace per mile."

After the first meet, Heidi was upset after finishing second to a competitor she had always resoundingly beaten. In tears, she told her father she was thinking of repenting.

"I had really had a bad day and I was crying not because I lost, but because I didn't care anymore. I was confused. And I feared hell. I had the fear before the spirit of conviction was really strong. I knew what I had to do and I was fighting it. I was trying to delay the decision until after track," she said.

"Oh Heidi, there are more important races in life," replied Rick as he hugged his daughter. He never expected her to repent before finishing her high school career and thought injuries and burnout contributed to her uncertainty. No matter what she decided, Rick did not want Heidi to continue running if she wasn't having fun.

"For me to tell my father was a big step. Most kids don't tell their parents until they repent because it's a personal decision. I knew he wouldn't pressure me one way or another. I knew I could bring it up again."

Two weeks later she confided in her mother after placing third in a meet at Monmouth. They sat at a picnic table where Kathy listened to her tearful daughter agonize over whether to retire from sports and repent.

"I told her we would support her if she decided to repent or decided to wait. I always knew she wanted to live for the Lord and prayed she would make the decision eventually, and I hoped the Lord would spare her life until she made the decision to walk with him," Kathy said.

She wondered if pride had something to do with her daughter's uncertainty, and whether running had become too important. Despite her concerns, Kathy knew sports had channeled her daughter's considerable independence in a positive way, and could not talk against it now.

"Apostolic Christian teenagers are no different than other teen-agers and Heidi probably would have been a very naughty little girl without running," Kathy said. "Sports made Heidi what she is today. It gave her confidence and helped her find out who she was, and what other kids are experiencing. It completes the picture."

Talking to her parents helped, but Heidi again pushed the subject out of her mind and concentrated on completing the cross country season. For the fourth and last time, she qualified for the state meet, still hoping for the title eluding her. She finished 13th and afterwards, thanked her father for introducing her to running, and her teammates for keeping her from falling apart.

Heidi had fun during a Miss America party with classmates.

That winter, a minister visiting her church in Goodfield spoke about a 17-year-old girl who was perfectly healthy, and died unexpectedly. The girl was a varsity cheerleader and wanted to wait and finish the season.

"That's what I was waiting for, to finish my high school career. Dying without being redeemed means you go to Hell. You don't make your heart right with God. I knew I was convicted and needed to change and live my life for the Lord. I was called then. It would be disobedient to God to wait and do things on my schedule," Heidi said. "I was afraid the world would end and I would be left here without my family."

During an off season training run with her father, Heidi told her father she had second thoughts about competing after high school. Even though colleges were recruiting her voraciously, a collegiate career had become less appealing.

Maybe the prayer she prayed in junior high school was being answered. Maybe God was taking away her desire. She wasn't sure.

"I knew she wanted to repent. I was praying, hoping the Lord would soften her heart," Kathy said.

"The most important decision a person can make is giving your life to the Lord. I went to her meets and was thankful she was doing well, but I knew it was becoming more important than it should be. It was her whole life. She ran every day, even if she was sick. She was a compulsive runner."

Heidi again put repenting aside while she enjoyed a midwinter Florida vacation with friends. By the time she arrived home, she was ready to reconsider her religious future, but her parents weren't there to guide her. They were visiting her sister in South Carolina.

Heidi looked for help from a sister-in-law who hadn't been raised Apostolic, but was contemplating repenting. The following morning, she confided to Mari who had repented as a high school freshman.

Around 10:30 that night she called her parents angry and frustrated. She only half listened to their words because she knew what she needed to do.

She decided to visit Roger Washburn, an assistant boys track coach who had become a good friend. He isn't Apostolic Christian, but always told Heidi not to let sports interfere with her religious convictions. She needed to hear that again.

But he wasn't home when she knocked on his door.

Heidi then sought the church elder for help. She just wanted to stop by his house and talk, only he had recently moved and Heidi didn't know his address. In the bitter cold, she walked up and down the dark subdivision street hoping to find his house.

She left without finding his home or hearing his reassuring voice. Heidi wondered if it was a sign from God telling her to wait.

Part Two

A child of god

A star athlete makes a major change in her life

Heidi Knapp felt relieved, but the tears would not stop flowing late one Sunday last January.

It was past 11 p.m. when the 17-year-old tried to contact the elder of Goodfield's Apostolic Christian Church about repenting. She had struggled with the decision since the end of her junior year at Eureka High School. Because the church recommends against participating in sports, repenting would mean walking away from a stellar track career that had yielded four state championships and held the possibility of a fifth her senior season. It also would dash her collegiate scholarship hopes.

The elder had recently moved, and Heidi was unable to locate his new house in Goodfield. She returned to her rural Congerville home upset, feeling alone in her struggle to do the right thing.

Parents Rick and Kathy Knapp were visiting another daughter in South Carolina, and had talked to Heidi earlier that evening. Heidi called them back and tearfully explained how she failed to find the elder's house.

Heidi Knapp and her father, Rick, always have shared a love of running.

Rick told his daughter not to quit in the middle of the race. He knew she wanted to repent and deep down, Heidi knew it too.

Her brother Josh, and his wife, Carolyn, were staying at the farm while the Knapps were away, and they offered to help Heidi find the elder. Josh repented after high school and like Heidi, made his decision late at night. She remembers how Josh woke his parents after midnight to tell them the news. Then he woke Heidi, gave her a hug, and told her not to wait so long. Heidi's eyes tear up at the memory. It's special because unlike other siblings, she was old enough to remember his conversion.

"He knew what I was going through and I knew he would help me. I wanted to repent before I talked myself out of it. I knew when Josh and Carolyn went with me, I knew I was going to do it," she said.

The three set out to find Wesley Knapp's house and did. It was close to 11:30, but elders and ministers are available anytime for those wishing to repent.

He talked with Heidi about an hour, making sure she understood what she was doing. As he talked, Heidi was reassured everything would be OK. She confessed her sins and returned home to call her parents with the good news.

She also called two girlfriends, one Apostolic Christian, one not. Both were surprised but understanding. It was nearly 12:30 when Heidi called track coach Don Samford. She wanted to tell him of her retirement before he heard the news from someone else. Heidi knew he was disappointed but appreciated his attempt to be supportive.

"What have I done? I threw everything away!" Heidi said to herself as she sat at the kitchen table and cried. She knew what she had done was right. She felt better about her salvation and was relieved the decision was made, but it would take awhile to adjust to a life without sports.

Samford also would need time to adjust. He was losing a track star favored to win an unprecedented fourth Class A state track title in the 3,200-meter run. She was one of the most competitive runners he'd ever coached. She was the kind of athlete who wouldn't scratch from races because of injury or illness, and probably practiced more than she should.

The coach knew sitting out an entire season had to be tough on Heidi, and it would be tough on the team that depended on her.

Rick understood the coach's disappointment because he, too, was surprised by her timing. Nonetheless, he was happy with her resolve.

"A gift doesn't mean much if it isn't worth much. What she gave up was significant. The sacrifice she made was large in her eyes. There was a lot of thought behind it, which gave me a sense of peace," he said.

The next morning Heidi dressed for school and instead of stepping into a pair of blue jeans, she donned a long skirt borrowed from a sister-in-law. The brown head covering she acquired from her sister was pinned to frosted hair that likely never will be short again. There will be no more earrings, lip gloss, nail polish or peroxide parties. She'll have no more boyfriends.

At school, her transformed appearance conveyed her decision to repent. Around half of the school's students are Apostolic Christian so repenting is a common occurrence. But the strong-willed, self-assured teen-ager was scared of what people would think about her sports retirement, and wondered why no one asked her about it.

She didn't consider herself special for her sports achievements or for giving up the opportunity for more. She also didn't believe her way was the only way. She was just thankful to have a home where God was most important, and for a church family that supported that teaching.

She had grown tired of being a part-time Christian. Before repenting, she only called on God when she needed him, which generally was the night before an important meet. Outside of cross country and track season, she rarely prayed.

"It was like saying I don't need you. I'm fine on my own. I didn't realize it at first. I'd try to read the Bible and things. But I didn't pray unless I needed something. That's when I realized I wasn't doing it for God's will. I did it because I needed something. I was really stupid."

As directed by the Bible, Heidi began to make restitution. She apologized to her parents, and others she had wronged. She offered to pay for the childish things she stole.

Slowly, people at school began asking her about her decision. Some were subtle about their interest. One of her male running partners from track was not.

"What's with the getup?" he deadpanned after running into her in the hallway. "I thought you were going to run track with us?" Spoken by anyone else, those words would have hurt Heidi's feelings. She knew it was a typical comment from someone she enjoyed, so she answered him with similar directness.

She would miss running with the boys. The biggest highlight of her career wasn't winning a state title, it was practicing with the boys who teased her, protected her and accepted her for who she was.

Getting through the upcoming track season wouldn't be easy either. Prior to the Joseph Cogdal Relays last March, Heidi's retirement was announced by Samford. The following day The Pantagraph published her sports obituary that eulogized her accomplishments, and lamented the championships that might have been.

Samford expressed sorrow at not being able to coach her one more time. She was an exemplary person who would be missed. He also reiterated his support of Heidi's decision and his disappointment for the team. He has endured retirements by Apostolic Christians before; however, this loss stung because Samford believed Knapp's abdication derailed Eureka's hopes of a state trophy and title.

The day the newspaper article was published, Heidi found peace. Before getting out of bed, she reached for her Bible, which opened to the page containing Mark 4:39, "Peace be still."

"I just knew Jesus was talking to me. That's when my heart was right with God. I knew I was going to be OK."

Heidi and her mother, Kathy, have grown even closer since Heidi repented in January.

After the announcement, people sent Heidi supportive letters. She received kind messages from church members, and from strangers who had followed her career. Many seemed to arrive on days she especially needed them. One letter filled with good wishes came from Catie LaBracke, a competitor from Woodstock Marion High School who won two 1,600 state titles after Heidi's freshman year.

"She said she would miss running against me," Heidi said of LaBracke. I remember tripping Catie in the 3,200 at the state meet my sophomore year. We got tangled while we were passing in lap two or three. I dropped back after the bump to talk to her. I wanted to make sure she was OK. I came in first, she came in second."

A Christian woman who thought Heidi should keep running wrote her, quoting Bible verses to support her view. She called Heidi a light for other people.

"Even if people tell me it's a mistake, I still want to find out for myself. Even if they're right. I don't like to be told what to do," Heidi maintained.

"People who don't know me think I was told to repent. A lot of my friends said they knew I wouldn't do it if I didn't want to. It's not easy sometimes to come to grips with the fact that I'll never compete the way I used to. But I'm wonderfully happy, the peace is indescribable. I know I'm on my own and God is there. It's OK because I know I have something better."

The weekend of the state track meet was especially difficult. Though she was content, the track star dreamed of putting on her spikes one more time. Like her mother, she chose to only share her worries with God, to whom she prayed constantly. Heidi also remembered her father's assurance that putting the Lord first in her life, would supply her with whatever she'll need. As always, Heidi took her father's words to heart.

Heidi plans to approach her religious life with the same fervor she used in running.

"I am competitive and enjoy challenges and it is a challenge to serve the Lord, but easy. It takes the same dedication, commitment and desire competitive running does. I worked to be the absolute best I could be in track. Why would I approach my Christian walk any differently? I want to serve God the best I can with his help and his grace."

That means working on being humble, a difficult concept for such a dynamic personality.

"It goes against my nature. I'm loud, I want my own way. I'm really stubborn and God tells us to be meek," said Heidi, who constantly fidgets while trying to sit still.

This month, Heidi is a teaching intern in Chicago as part of the Golden Apple Scholar program for outstanding high school students. This fall she will attend Illinois State University and will live in a dorm. She didn't request an Apostolic Christian roommate. Heidi considers herself a people person and figures God will take care of the rest.

Though some Apostolic Christian girls dress to blend in with the campus community, Heidi will wear skirts and head coverings to classes.

"People think we are required to wear the skirt and head covering. It is a guideline, a tradition. It alone isn't going to get us to heaven by any means," she said.

On Aug. 7 she will go before the church congregation to share her testimony. The congregation will affirm its support for her.

The next day Heidi will be baptized by immersion following the second church service. Afterwards there will be a family dinner and youth will gather for singing.

She is excited about joining the brotherhood. She will be allowed to take communion and as a baptized member, can give and receive the holy kiss, a warm greeting brothers and sisters give to their respective genders.

Heidi hopes people understand that she was ready to move on to another part of her life. She hopes to study abroad, and she'll marry if God wills it. Having children would be nice too and if she does, they'll be allowed to lace up a pair of tennies and head for the high school oval.

Like her parents, she believes children need to experience what life has to offer so they can comprehend the personal commitment repenting takes. Rick and Kathy talked a lot about their decision to allow their children to participate in sports. Because of their involvement, the Knapps made a lot of friends and experienced a lot of things they never would have without sports, especially during Heidi's impressive career.

Heidi too, will never forget her outstanding career. For graduation, her family made a video that chronicles her childhood memories and sports achievements. The newspaper clippings, the heart-stopping 1,600 race in Charleston are included. There's even a photo of a very young Heidi standing on a wooden box accepting an award for a Saturday fun run. It's all there accompanied by contemporary Christian music and songs from "Chariots of Fire" and "Fiddler on the Roof."

When asked about her biggest sports disappointment, she didn't mention getting bumped at a finish line or loosing a race by a click of a stopwatch. Her biggest disappointment was finishing a race knowing she could have run faster. It didn't happen often but when it did, Heidi said was a big problem. That's because her father taught her winning was secondary to effort.

When considering her most satisfying accomplishment, again Heidi avoided the predictable.

"There's been no biggest accomplishment. To just pick one moment, one thing, I can't do that. Some days, everything just clicks. You put in mile after mile to prepare for a race and when everything clicks, that's the accomplishment. It's the feeling that everything is going to be OK, the feeling of really flying. That's great."

Part Three

Tuesday, July 20

Neither first nor last to give up sports

Heidi Knapp was a coach's dream.

She is one of the most talented female athletes ever to wear green and white for Eureka High School. She worked tirelessly and possessed tenacious competitiveness that was tempered by consummate sportsmanship.

Like most good dreams, it ended sooner than the sports community would have liked. Before her senior track season, Heidi repented and will join the Apostolic Christian Church in Goodfield. She had won four Class A state track championships and was favored to win a fifth. In the midst of being recruited by Division I college coaches, she said she had lost her desire to run and did not want competing to come before God in her life.

About half of the school's Apostolic Christian students compete in sports. The church advises members not to be participants or spectators in sports because it takes too much time away from godly pursuits. Apostolic Christians also worry about the gambling, drinking and poor sportsmanship often associated with players and spectators.

Heidi's determination and success in athletics made her decision to join the church before graduation difficult. Her tenaciousness was exemplified in a 1996 newspaper article about cross country.

"I would probably run myself into the ground," said Heidi, when asked what would happen if she didn't have a coach. "It's just the way I am. I'm getting better (at moderation)."

But moderation was a difficult concept for Heidi to grasp. After winning the University High School Cross Country Invitational by a 49-second margin her junior year, she wasn't satisfied with her performance.

"I ran slow but that's OK, I ran what God wanted me to run. There's always next time," she said after the race.

Besides the competitive mindset, Heidi battled injuries the previous fall and though she still won meets, was frustrated with some of her finishes.

"She's so competitive, she's the type you can't hold back. She did the things that made her great. The last season she just tried to do her best and finish the season out with the attitude, whatever happens, happens. I could see as a runner how that would be frustrating, trying to get that one title in cross country," said Brett Charlton, Eureka's cross country coach.

Charlton was surprised when he saw Heidi wearing her long skirt and head covering at school. Track season was approaching and he figured she would wait until after graduation.

"She's by far the best female runner we've ever had at Eureka, one of those you don't see very often. She did the right things to make herself great. That's why it was such a shock. Someone that good, that dedicated, this person could have such a great career as a collegiate runner, then bang, her career is over," he said.

"They make the decision on their own. I wished her the best of luck. It's something all the coaches talked about after Heidi retired. Basically you have to support them. You can't try to talk a person out of it. It's a decision they have to live with. She's not the first or the last."

Girls track coach Don Samford also was surprised, but got a sinking feeling in December when Heidi told him she might not run in college. Eureka's talented senior-laden team was looking to make a run at a Class A state title and those hopes were dimmed with her withdrawal.

Samford grew up in an area of Illinois where there were no Apostolic Christian Churches. Upon accepting a job at a school with a substantial Apostolic Christian population, he had to adjust to the uncertainty that comes with sudden retirements. He disagrees with the church's biblical interpretation concerning the dangers of competition. Encouraging her to run for God is much better testimony than withdrawing from athletics, he said.

"In track, we preach teamwork and when you lose one of the pieces, the team gets hurt. There are other kids impacted by the decision," Samford said. "There are conflicted feelings. You're happy for the student's conviction and your disappointed at losing the person. She was a super gal to work with and a positive force for her teammates."

Before visiting the church elder that night, Heidi stopped by to visit Roger Washburn, the assistant boys track coach. Heidi practiced with the boys her first two years and made a special connection with Washburn.

He was out of town that evening, but was touched by her attempt to get in touch him. He understands the difficulties coaches face, wondering whether an offense built around a quarterback or point guard will fall apart because of an athlete quitting for religious convictions. Even with those coaching sensitivities, he affirmed what he told Heidi in previous discussions about lifetime priorities.

"I wouldn't say her decision surprised me necessarily. We had talked about it before. I told her not to let track get in the way of her commitment to the Lord. I've said that to other students. If someone thinks that's what they need to do to have a proper commitment to the Lord, they should do what is proper for them," he said.

"Whenever I think of Heidi I think of an outstanding person from an outstanding family, that's my favorite memory of Heidi. Actually it's the family backgrounds that make these young people special. It gives them a great start in life. We all don't believe exactly the same thing, but our beliefs are very similar."

In a newspaper story about her retirement, Heidi predicted the team would be fine without her, and it was. Though they didn't finish in the running for an individual or team state title, the girls won their third consecutive Class A sectional championship and qualified 11 girls for the state meet in Charleston. Samford was shocked by their impressive sectional win because he didn't think they could recapture the title without Heidi.

Despite the roller coaster rides Apostolic Christian athletes give him, he is looking forward to coaching Heidi's two younger sisters if they decide to run track. Losing athletes to church convictions comes with the Central Illinois territory, and Samford said it's worth having students involved even for part of their high school careers.

"I'm hoping her younger sisters keep running. I'll take them on. I'm counting on their father to have them trained when they get here," he quipped.

The Bible tells us so

Apostolic Christians strive to maintain 19th century traditions in a modern society

"Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."
- Philippians 3: 13,14

Being Apostolic Christian is not about rules and regulations. It's about being the best Christian you can be.

They have worshipped in Central Illinois since the mid 19th century and in many small towns, have congregations representing large segment of their populations.

Congerville's Heidi Knapp will join their ranks on Aug. 8 at the Apostolic Christian Church in Goodfield. Like many Apostolic Christian children, she participated in sports and other school activities at Eureka High School prior to repenting in January. She is a four-time state track champion who could have waited until after graduation, which many do. She could have repented in her 20s, 30s or older. Or Heidi could have never repented.

But she chose to turn away from her senior season and from a college scholarship to become converted because she was eager to conform to church teachings and traditions. She also was anxious to receive the promise of salvation by repenting, confessing her sins, making restitution and turning away from sin.

They are biblical beliefs preached by church founder Samuel Froehlich, who founded the Apostolic Christian Church in the early 1830s. He was a seminary student in Switzerland who experienced a biblical conversion and began preaching about salvation through Jesus Christ. Apostolic Christians arrived in New York in 1847, then moved west to fertile farming areas in the Midwest.

Church doctrine is based on a literal interpretation of the Bible, which is considered God-inspired and infallible. New Testament teachings are carefully followed, and the Old Testament is used as is a guiding tool.

The believer sees himself or herself as a pilgrim, a stranger in a short earthly life who is walking on a narrow road to eternal life in heaven. Salvation is obtained by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and his teachings are to be emphatically followed.

The church practices adult baptism which symbolizes the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. During baptism, believers observe the symbolic burial of the old person who is dead to sin, and celebrate the resurrection of the new life in Jesus Christ. Children are innocents and are taught they will be accountable for their sins as adults, and will go to hell if they don't turn their back on sin.

Being converted can happen at any mature age, though most believers repent in high school or shortly afterwards. Jaye Rinkenberger, minister of the Apostolic Christian Church in Goodfield, said an individual reaches the age of accountability when he or she becomes accountable before God for sinful nature.

"You are accountable to God for the condition of your heart. As children are taught the word they are awakened to a fear in their heart of dying and going to hell. Salvation is so simple. We teach the love of God. Jesus Christ has died for us and shed his blood, and we must come to the foot of the cross with a repentant heart."

To become converted, people seek out the church elder to repent and confess their sins. Then they make restitution for past wrongs and become dead to sin by developing a relationship with Jesus Christ through Bible study and prayer.

The conversion process takes however long is necessary. At the end, the person's testimony is shared with the congregation and followed by public baptism through immersion. The repenting process is patterned after similar experiences of John the Baptist, Paul, Peter and Jesus Christ.

Members are expected to embrace the doctrinal and lifestyle standards of the church based on biblical teachings. That means living a godly life that often differs from contemporary culture.

"In the last 40 years we are struggling as a church to hold on to tradition, but there are no absolutes," said Rinkenberger.

Though members make their own decisions about complying with church recommendations, they are asked to eschew TV, movies, the Internet, sports and other things that consume time away from godly pursuits. Guidelines developed by the national Council of Elders state: "We have real concern for brethren who take the liberty to bring a television set into their home for their use or for the entertainment of their young children. We recognize there may be special circumstances such as when an older child brings a TV into his own room. VCR's can be used in an improper way and we must be very cautious, as some films have led individuals into grievous sin. Sports occupies so much of people's time in the world today, either as a spectator or a participant. May it ever be clear in our children's minds what our position is as parents. We can soon become so wrapped up in following their various activities, it will be unclear in the minds as to what we really want for them."

Rinkenberger said parents generally don't discourage children from participating in sports or other activities but they are considered time consuming and a distraction.

"It difficult to know when to draw the line. When do you quit? Children learn that it's not our focus for the future," he said.

Exposure to TV, movies and sporting events also leads children to idolize actors, singers and athletes when they should be emulating parents, siblings and Bible figures, Rinkenberger said.

Believers also are asked to dress modestly to reflect their spiritual sincerity. Men are instructed to maintain a clean cut appearance and avoid loud or sporty attire, including shorts. Clothing should reflect the distinction between genders, so women are asked to wear skirts or dresses. They also are to avoid wearing makeup and jewelry. Neither gender is encouraged to wear wedding rings.

Scripture instructs women to wear hair long. Church tradition discourages brightly colored hair ribbons and bows, or hairstyles that draw undo attention. Head coverings are required during prayer and prophesying. During church services female members wear lace veils.

"But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonourth her head" I Corinthians 11:5

The head coverings and veils are signs of God's chain of submission, Rinkenberger said. Men are the heads of their homes and hold the administrative positions in church.

"But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God." I Corinthians 11:3 "Let your women keep silence in the churches; for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law." I Corinthians 14:34

There is no dating after repenting because modern dating is considered veryharmful, Rinkenberger said.

"If dating was a prelude to a Christ-like marriage, Wow. That would be great. But it lacks commitment. It's usually based on feelings, not faith."

Members who are single agree to marry within the faith. Single members socialize at church functions and if a man feels God is leading him to marry a female member, he asks the church elder to convey his marriage proposal. The woman prayerfully considers the proposal before relaying her answer. Prior to the wedding, the couple spends time together in group settings and either party can change their mind before the wedding day, but they rarely do.

"Marriage of faith is having the faith to believe the Lord has led you to this individual, and you are seeking it out through prayer," Rinkenberger said.

Because marriage is based on faith in God and is considered a lifetime commitment, divorce is rare. No matter what the circumstances around a divorce, members cannot remarry and retain their membership. Those who do remarry forfeit their membership, but are welcome to continue worshipping with the congregation. People can remarry after a spouse dies.

Each church has multiple ministers, usually three to five. Goodfield has four, plus an elder who are chosen by the congregation and serve open-ended terms without pay. They are not trained in "man's knowledge" at seminaries but lead through the power of the Holy Spirit, and through study and searching the Scriptures.

The elder and ministers take turns preaching. Ministers approach the lectern without notes. Like the disciples, they do not preach from prepared notes or predetermined scripture, but rely on the Holy Spirit for inspiration. Ministers pray and meditate during the week and open the Bible randomly as they stand before the congregation and use those scriptures for their message. The belief is God knows better than the minister what the congregation needs to hear.

The exception, Rinkenberger said, are holidays, weddings, funerals and other special events where preparation of notes and specific scripture is appropriate.

Worship services at Apostolic Christian churches are similar throughout the United States. Typically there are two services on Sundays, and a service Wednesday evenings.

As they arrive at church, members greet each other with a holy kiss, mentioned in the New Testament five times, Rinkenberger said. It is an expression of love passed to people of their respective genders.

In the sanctuary, most men and women sit with their respective genders, except for weddings, funerals and other special services. Children can sit on either side. No scripture reflects this practice, but it was borrowed from early Jewish and Christian traditions. Rinkenberger said the seating arrangement is less distracting, encourages fellowship and is more inviting for single and widowed members.

The seating arrangement also facilitates a cappela singing because people with lower voices sit together and people with higher voices sit together. There are no instruments, solos or choirs during the service because the service is to glorify God, not members. "It's not about us, it's about praising his name," Rinkenberger said.

A song leader begins singing the hymn and the congregation joins him. Choirs, quartets and other groups do sing at vacation Bible schools, hymn sings and other special events.

At the church in Goodfield, there is 15 minutes of congregational singing prior to the 10 a.m. Sunday service. Then there is a moment or two of silent prayer. The Bible is opened to the Old Testament and scripture is read. Then there is a song, prayer. Parishioners usually kneel while praying

After a New Testament reading, the minister preaches 20 to 30 minutes about issues pertaining to that morning's scriptures. Another minister gives closing comments, then singing and prayer close the service lasting 45 minutes to an hour. Before dismissing for lunch, members are encouraged to stand and give greetings from other Apostolic Christian churches they have visited. Rinkenberger said members are encouraged to travel and socialize with families or other Apostolic Christian churches to enhance fellowship and oneness.

"The church is an abundance of fellowship. We strive hard to maintain unity regardless of what or where the church is," he said.

Communion is usually served only on Good Friday. There is no tithing during the service. Collection boxes are placed in the fellowship area as according to Exodus 25:2, "Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart, ye shall take my offering."

Sunday school is conducted during the first service and lets out at the same time. For more than an hour, the members of the congregation take turns eating lunch in a large dining room filled with horseshoe shaped tables and stools. Fellowship continues before during and after lunch.

Prior to the 12:15 service there is more a cappella singing in the sanctuary. Then a service similar to the first ensues, this time with children and Sunday School teachers in attendance.

Church mission efforts are coordinated nationally by the Apostolic Christian Church World Relief Organization, which provides an outreach to those in need materially and spiritually. Work teams are sent to help the disadvantaged in Haiti, Mexico, Jamaica, Eastern Europe and other underprivileged areas. The organizations also help disaster victims throughout the United States. Central Illinois material aid centers are located in Goodfield and Forrest where personal and household items are collected for mission efforts.

Local mission outreaches also include the Home for the Handicapped in Morton, and nursing homes in Roanoke, Fairbury, Peoria, Morton and Eureka. All are open to people of any faith.

"So many people think we are closed to others or closed-minded and don't want anyone else," Rinkenberger said. "We welcome everyone to our church."

Apostolic Christian Church statements of faith

1. The Bible is inspired and infallible word of God to man. The New Testament serves as the foundation of the doctrine of the Apostolic Christian Church. The authorized King James Version is embraced.
2. There is one eternal God, the Creator of all things, who exists in three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
3. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was begotten by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life.
4. Man was created in God's image, but by man's transgression he became separated from God. All who reach the age of accountability are responsible for their sinful deeds.
5. Jesus Christ gave his life on Calvary's cross and his precious blood was shed as a ransom for all. He was buried and he rose again the third day for our justification.
6. Both the saved and the lost will be resurrected: the saved unto eternal life and the lost unto eternal damnation.
7. Faith in Christ's redemptive work on Calvary, which results in repentance, is the beginning of a true Christian life. The fruits of repentance are a humble and contrite heart, prayer, godly sorrow, confession to God in the presence of man, forsaking of all sin, restitution and a forgiving spirit.
8. A true conversion is evidenced by a spiritual rebirth, restoration of peace with God and man, the fruit of the Spirit and obedience to God's word.
9. Following a testimony of faith and conversion, a covenant of faithfulness to God is made. Baptism of faith by immersion is administered in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
10. The believer is sealed with the Holy spirit of Promise. This is acknowledged and symbolized in a prayer of consecration following baptism by the laying on of hands of the elder. As a member of the body of Christ, the believer experiences spiritual growth and edification within the church.
11. The New Testament church appears in two distinct aspects: a) A fellowship of converted men and women, known as brothers and sisters, with Christ as head, functioning in accord with New Testament teachings. b) The glorious church, the bride of Christ, including all saints of all ages, to be manifest fully at the return of Christ Jesus.
12. Brethren who are sound in faith, doctrine and example serve as elders, ministers and teachers. They are chosen from the congregation for the furtherance of the gospel of the grace of God to all people.
13. The bread and the fruit of the vine in Holy Communion symbolize the body and the blood of Christ. A closed communion is observed by the church following self examination by the members.
14. The holy greeting, a kiss of charity, is practiced among brethren as a symbol of love for one another.
15. Sisters wear a veil or head covering during prayer and worship as a symbol of their submission according to God's order of creation.
16. The believers live separated, sanctified lives and are not conformed to the world. Discipline of erring members is administered for their spiritual welfare and for the preservation of the church.
17. Governmental authority is respected and obeyed. Members serve in a noncombatant status in the military. Oaths are not taken, but truth is affirmed.
18. Marriage is a lifelong union ordained of God in which a man and a woman of like mind, faith and fellowship are united in the Lord in holy matrimony.
19. Although the gift of eternal life is a present possession of every true believer, it is possible for a believer of his own free will to forsake his faith, return to sin and consequently forfeit eternal life with Christ.
20. Built upon the Lord Jesus Christ, the church is a closely knit body of believers sharing each other's joys and sorrows in the true spirit of brotherhood. The church seeks to grow in the love of Christ and the understanding of his word. The church extends a gracious invitation to all to come and worship in spirit and in truth.

a race for SALVATION

Part One

Part Two

A child of god

Part Three

The Bible tells us so

Apostolic Christians strive to maintain 19th century traditions in a modern society

Apostolic Christian Church statements of faith