  |  Gary Weatherly was born and raised in Kern County, in the Central California Valley, surrounded by oil fields and cotton fields. When Gary was thirteen years old, his mother and father divorced and "normal" life ended for him and his younger brother, Brian. He began to rebel against any authority and started moving toward a life of violence and crime.
At the age of seventeen he was invited to spend a summer in Dayton, Ohio with his grandfather, Earnest Weatherly. This was a turning point for his life because his grandparents were praying Christians. And because of their prayers, Gary turned away from violence and crime and found himself moving toward a relationship with Jesus Christ.
However, Gary didn't make a commitment to Jesus until years later, after five years of college and twelve years in the music business under the influence of money, sex, drugs (alcohol) and rock'nroll. But God, in His great love saved Gary from sin and death.(Read Ephesians 2)
In Costa Mesa, California, Gary made a real commitment to Christ and began to grow as a Christian under the ministry of Pastor Chuck Smith. There, in 1974, he learned the meaning of the "Love of God." Gary began to serve the Lord by taking the Gospel wherever he could. He preached and played music on the streets, ministered in Rescue Missions and prisons, and visited Juvenile Halls and convalescent homes. Gary also shared in music & the word at evangelistic outreaches and churches.
In 1978, God called Gary to a Prison and Juvenile Hall Ministry in Napa, California. Jesus saved his daughter, Cari and son, Damon, Gary's children from his B.C. (Before Christ) days, and they came to Napa with him. Cari has 3 beautiful girls, Holly and twins, Kristin and Katherine. They live in Bakersfield, CA. Gary's son, Damon and his wife Susan, live in Forestville, in Northern CA, with daughter, Shelbie (12/1/92) and son, Dylan (4/4/95). God has worked wonders in thier lives.
As Gary served God there in the beautiful Napa Valley, he met and fell in love with Debbie, and in 1979 they were married. To support his family and the Prison Ministry he opened the Napa Valley Art Studio and Gallery with James Michael Orr, another Christian artist. Gary's "Napa Valley Scenes" brought the Gospel message to thousands of people who purchased them in the wine country gift shops.
God eventually moved Gary out of the Prison Ministry and Art Gallery into the office of Pastor-teacher. He began to teach home Bible studies in Napa, Sonoma & Santa Rosa eventually moving to Santa Rosa in 1982 and establishing Calvary Chapel of Santa Rosa.
Gary and Debbie are the parents of five children.
Their son, Matthew and his wife, Kellie have a beautiful baby girl, Jessie (2/15/01) and a strapping boy, Elijah (12/22/02).
***AND Baby Girl, Alyssa Michelle WEATHERLY (4/5/04) ***
They live in Santa Rosa. Matt plays guitar and sings and serves in the music ministry at Calvary Santa Rosa and other outreaches - as time allows.
Their son, David (12/26/81), plays drums, guitar, keyboards, sings and writes. He lives in Santa Rosa with his brother Michael. We trust God that he will use the gifts Christ gave him to glorify Jesus.
Their Son, Michael (7/11/83), is a gifted singer- songwriter, bassist and guitarist. We trust God that he will use the gifts Christ gave him to glorify Jesus.
We pray for Dave & Mike all the time.
Their daughter, Faith (3/27/85) graduated from Calvary Chapel Bible College in 2005. She is in our prayers and the prayers of the Church at Calvary Santa Rosa. Their youngest son, Douglas (9/29/90) plays baseball, drums, & guitar to eventually serve the Lord with his talents. Gary and Debbie have Home Schooled their children since 1985.
Debbie oversees the Women's Ministries at Calvary Chapel and Pastor Gary still does special music ministry concerts by himself or with his family when God opens the door. He also maintains an on-line art gallery at www.artofgary.com incorporating his gifts in teaching and sharing the Word of God.
pastor Gary says: "We pray for the day when we will all minister together before the throne of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ."
 These are my beloved praying Grandparents sometime in the early 1960's.
"Ernie" (Earnest Albert) and Georgia Weatherly |
