The flag is remarkable in its simplicity – a white field with a smaller blue field near the upper hoist on which a red Latin cross is centered. It is the flag of Christianity, known as the church flag, and it is being seen in increasing frequency in Wood County. 

Just as with the Stars and Stripes, it can be said that the meaning behind the church flag is determined in each individual’s heart and is influenced by each person’s experience. So, it should not come as a surprise when knocking on the front door of a local residence flying the flag, that a story or two would be forthcoming.

Woody and Cheri Weimer sat on their front porch. Woody looked up at the flag, flying just below the U.S. flag from the single flagpole in his front yard.

“Jesus is not there,” he stated, “He has been resurrected. That cross is red because He died for me.” 

That simple admission was a lifetime in the making for Weimer. He willingly told his story. Not all personal narratives are easy or rosy.

For Weimer that story began with a challenging youth. It took many turns, often not positive, and led to one evening after he rolled his car on Highway 69 (he was aiming for a tree).

“I had pretty much given up,” he recounted.

While sitting in the middle of the highway it was the actions and support of Frank White – patrolman and future Wood County sheriff – who provided a major course correction in his life. White collected him off the highway, put him in his patrol car, then walked down to Weimer’s car with a screwdriver. When he came back, he said, “If anyone ever asks, you had a blow-out.”

Weimer persevered and graduated with the 1965 class at Mineola High School. 

He aced his entrance examinations with the U.S. Air Force, but youthful distractions while at various advanced Air Force training saw opportunities squandered. He ended up working the flight line on Okinawa. 

There had been one major development along the way: he married his wife of 50+ years, Cheri, before shipping out to Okinawa. The young couple funded Cheri’s travel to Okinawa, and they began married life on the island.

It was a fellow Airman, Dan Shaver, who fundamentally changed Weimer’s life. A keen observer, Weimer was impressed by how Shaver carried himself and how well-rooted he seemed to be, both on and off-duty. 

Weimer asked, and Shaver began to explain about Jesus Christ.

“I accepted Christ that day, and two weeks later I was baptized,” Weimer stated. 

He promptly brought Shaver to his home, and after talking with Cheri, she too accepted Christ.  

Life took a more steady strain. A full tour of duty at Ramstein Air Base in Germany followed. While there, Weimer discovered that he could be an enthusiastic biker and a Christian. Returning stateside for duty at Fort Bragg, Weimer connected with more like-minded bikers.  

It was in 1993, having resettled in Wood County, when Weimer took the step to found a Mineola chapter of the Christian Motorcycle Association (CMA). It was only one of the many paths which his faith has taken him. 

In addition to the CMA, Woody and Cheri were active in the Bill Glass prison ministry ‘Behind the Walls’ and Bikers for Christ. Since 2008 Woody has served as the chaplain for the Wood County Jail population (Weimer prefers the phrase ‘county residents in a gated community.’)  

Weimer’s outreach efforts follow no set routine.

“Establishing outreach to each person is a unique experience…but if I can use a personal story from my life, or a joke, or a challenge, just anything which can lead us to the Bible… (I’ll do it.)” he shared. 

“Ministry is not about following me,” he offered, “it is about following Him.”   

When asked about the reluctance which many people have proclaiming their faith, Weimer shared that it was the Apostle Paul who prayed for boldness to teach the word.

The Church Flag can trace its origins back to the First Anglo-Dutch War of 1652, a war fought largely at sea between the English and the Dutch. It is said that at agreed upon times the two opposing fleets would fly a pennant which combined the St. George’s cross of England with the tri-colors of the Netherlands when services were being conducted afloat. No attacks could take place when the pennant was flying.

The U.S. Navy likely adopted a version of the Church Pennant from the Royal Navy. Yet today, during worship services on U.S. Navy warships, the Church Pennant may be flown above the National Ensign. When the service is concluded, the Church Pennant is hauled down. 

The Church Flag was designed by a Sunday School teacher in 1897 in New York City. It bears resemblance to the Church Pennant of nautical origins.  

When sighting the Church Flag flying here and there in Wood County, it can serve as a sign of faith as well as a reminder of the path each person must tread.