THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, April 20, 1995 TAG: 9504190168
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK ROBERTS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines
If you saw a man with a large, heavy cross in your neighborhood or as you drove around town last week, you probably wondered what it was all about.
You may have linked it to the Easter story but still asked: Why is this man doing this?
As the Rev. Bill Brock tells it, because God led him to do it.
Brock told no one but his family of his plans but set out because he felt that he had a cross to bear - often on highly visible, highly traveled routes. He didn't want it to be viewed as a publicity stunt.
Last Thursday and Friday, he took up a 10-foot-long, 70-pound cross and walked 17 miles around the city.
``The only reason,'' he said, was that he felt led by the Lord. ``He told me about 3 1/2 years ago,'' Brock said, ``but I was hard-headed.''
During the walk, ``I prayed and looked around for an old building I hope someone will donate so we can have our own church building.''
Charisma Victory Fellowship, founded seven years ago, has been meeting in the Kings Fork Community House.
The 64-year-old pastor carried the upper part of the cross on his shoulders. Wheels from his son's skateboard were on the lower part. Inside the cross were names of 260 church members, families and others.
Brock's walk went from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday and from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Friday, when his wife met him. ``We walked hand-in-hand for the last block.''
Brock's journey, often along heavily traveled routes, was brightened by offers of water, picture-taking and interest of children.
``But one man said I was cheating because I had wheels on the cross. I said nothing, but I wanted to tell him Jesus was half my age,'' he said. ``When I began, I took a good 30-inch stride. At the end of the last day, I could barely get one foot in front of the other.''
Words of pain and suffering, affliction, sickness and sin - ``some of the things Jesus died for'' - were burned onto the cross. Brock said Isaiah 53:5: ``With his stripes we are healed,'' was the message of his trek.
The walk is worlds apart from the days when Brock could count nine Cadillacs as his own.
During 14 years in Nashville, he was vice president of two major publishing companies and was a songwriter and record producer with several hits to his credit, including ``I'll Have Another Cup of Coffee,'' No. 1 on the 1961 Cashbox magazine country chart.
But Brock said money didn't bring happiness. ``Once, after a long night, I thought about me - going nowhere. . . . I'd write a song; someone else would record it. Then what?''
He contemplated taking his my life. But the next day, ``I screamed at God: `I need some help. I need it now'.'' And, he said, ``I felt a peace.''
After 14 years in the music business, Brock established the music division of the Christian Broadcasting Network. Three years later, he left for a five-year stint as minister of music for Trinity Tabernacle - known as The Barn - in Virginia Beach.
After being on the road as a traveling evangelist, he began preaching in Suffolk.
Last week, he traveled on foot bearing the cross - not as the symbol of death but as the symbol of Resurrection. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by JOHN H. SHEALLY II
The Rev. Bill Brock carries the 70-pound cross - for 17 miles.
by CNB