Brian Welch: From KORN to Christ

In the 1990's-2000's, the heavy metal band KORN was one of the most popular bands in the world.  It was the dream of every young rebellious teenage boy to be in a band like KORN.  The whole world was literally at their feet, but for Brian Welch, it wasn't enough.  When the band was at the peak of their popularity, Brian thought that he had it all.  His childhood dream of being a rock star had come true.  His band had become bigger then he could ever imagine.  Yet his life was falling apart.  His marriage was shattered, his drug abuse out of control, he felt so lost and depressed.  In the end, the only thing that kept him going was his daughter, Jeannea, but at times it was so bad he began to wonder if his daughter would actually be better off without him.  

By the year 2004 he had millions of dollars, but was miserable and he knew that if things didn't change soon, he was going to die.  So he did the only think he could do.  He prayed to God.  

Brian Welch grew up in a Middle class home in Bakersfield, CA.  Like many young teenagers, he dreamed of fame and fortune, and like many others, he faced difficult problems and made bad choices at times.  Though his father worked hard to keep everything running, he had a bad drinking problem, and this took a big toll on his relationship with Brian, something that Brian couldn't fully grasp until later in his life.  As a teenager he, like many, experimented with alcohol and marijuana, and after moving out the the LA music scene as a young man, he began experimenting with other drugs, with Meth becoming his drug of choice.  Initially, he felt it was fun, but it didn't take long before fun turns into addiction, which is so often the case.  

When KORN was beginning to take off, Brian faced his first major life crisis: his girlfriend Rebekah (and future ex-wife) became pregnant.  Brian was about to leave for his first real tour, and both were heavily into drugs at the time, they were in no position to care for this child.  Brian, who was pro-choice at this point in his life, decided to let Rebekah decide what to do.  Though she initially considered an abortion, she did not have the heart to go through with it and they both decided that adoption was the best option.  Fortunately, they found a good family, and though it was hard to part with their baby, they knew it was the right thing to do.  When looking back on their decision not to abort his child Brian stated that he made many terrible mistakes over his life, and he gives thanks to God every day that this was one mistake he did not make.  

As the 1990's progressed, KORN got bigger, Brian got wealthier, and his drug use got worse.  At times he tried to quit, but his addiction was simply too strong.  Later in his career, when Rebekah became pregnant for the second time, they decided to keep the child (who was his daughter Jeannea) and marry.  They hoped that perhaps this would help them both straighten out their lives, and it did, or a time.  However, the drugs kept coming back, and the endless months that Brian spent on the road took a heavy toll.  Rebekah's drug use eventually got so bad that the marriage fell apart and she ended up in Oregon at a meth house with skinheads.  It was so bad for her that she didn't even show up to the custody hearing over her daughter, which meant that Brian got full custody.  Sadly though, Brian's wasn't much better off.  

Brian's drug use got worse and worse.  He had no ideal how to deal with is pain, so he turned to the only thing that was available, Meth.  Brian knew he couldn't live like this.  He couldn't keep Jennea on the road with him, it was no way to raise a child, but he knew that to stop touring would mean he would have to give up his dream and quit KORN, and he didn't think he could do this, so he took more Meth to try an avoid thinking about this.  At this time, Brian's family and friends were beginning to see that something was seriously wrong, but none of them fully realized just how bad it was.  Brain took no joy in touring anymore.  He couldn't even bring himself to hang out with the rock stars that he grew up idolizing.  When he wasn't onstage, he was alone in his trailer where his only companions were his meth, his internet porn, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  It was getting so bad for him that he was now struggling to even keep it together on the stage.  He was lost, he had no idea where to turn.  

It was at this point, in the year 2004, when Brian was at his worse, that he received an unexpected email from an old friend that contained the Bible passage Matthew 11:28-30: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."  Upon reading this, Brian began to pray, he felt that Jesus was his last hope.  It was either stay on drugs and die, or turn to Jesus for help.  Brian began to reach out to old friends who had once been addicts, but who had found God and changed their lives.  He started going to church.  During one service he heard the Pastor give a powerful sermon in which he said “All you have to do is spend time with God and talk with him and all the burdens you have, all the heavy stuff you’re carrying, will fall away from you.”  

On Jan. 09, 2005, Brian began to give his life to Christ.  In the weeks that followed, he still fell into temptation, but finally through prayer, found the strength to come forward with his problems.  He then called his friend and confessed everything.  They then went through his home and pulled out huge supplies of Meth that were hidden everywhere.  Brian's friend nearly broke down in tears and said "What are you doing to yourself man?"

Brian's struggle did not end here.  Many more followed.  He found even more meth a week later and fooled himself into thinking that one more hit will be OK, and after that, he'd be done for good.  He was wrong.  The addiction came right back, but he kept reading his Bible even as he was doing Meth.  After reading Ezekiel 18:20-"The soul who sis is the one who will die" Brian quit drugs right then and there, he never even drank again.  As the weeks followed, he kept finding more Meth hidden in his home, but he immediately flushed it away, he never gave into that temptation again.  After this, Brian's life was never the same.  He eventually told the band that he had to quit Korn and dedicate himself to God.  It wasn't easy for anyone, and for a time Brian was ensnared in lawsuits against his former band over royalty rights, but with the help of God's teachings, Brian gave up his obsession with money and dismissed the suit.  Eventually, he was able to work things out with his band-mates and they came around and supported his decision.  Ironically, this helped bring them even closer together.  Brian was eventually baptized in the Jordan River in Israel.  Prior to his baptism, he asked his Pastor "Can you hold me under water longer?  I have a lot of sins to wash away."  His Pastor laughed and granted Brian his request.  

Brian later formed a solo group where he changed the messages of his music, messages that were inspired by his new faith which he hoped would help make a positive difference.  He dedicated many of his funds to charity groups in America to help at-risk youth and also funded the building of orphanages for the Loadi Tribes in India, an outcast tribe of headhunters that Brian visited personally and felt a special calling from God to help.  Brian eventually reconciled with is father, with both of them acknowledging the wrongs that they did to each other and learning to forgive each other and themselves.  Brian continued to face trials in his life, but he always maintained his faith, even when he lost his temper at cursed at God, he remembered that he always loved his daughter, even when she cursed at him, and he knew that God loved him in the same way.  

When Brian was in KORN, the world was in the palm of his hands.  He had anything he wanted, went wherever he wanted, and he can tell you first hand that there is nothing there.  Jesus is the only thing that can make us feel complete.  Jesus freed Brian from a broken heart, a broken soul, addiction, guilt, shame, depression, anger, everything.  Brian also came to understand that people need to get out of the “Sunday Christian” mentality and into the world so God can use them to change the world, to help people understand that God does not live in buildings made by men (Acts 7:48) but that we are God’s building and he dwells in us (1 Corinthians 3:16).  All man-made religion crap has to be discarded.  God does not see denominations; he sees one big glorious bride.  When Christians argue over doctrinal issues, all he sees is carnal people acting like children.  All that prideful, controlling religious crap is what drives the young away from churches and it has to go.  Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom, and it is far all of us, regardless of our standing in society.