Twin Powers
by Patrick Lemmons
Gerald and Geremy Varner are twins who grew up in the Clayton Homes government housing projects and began coming to Impact when they were four years old. Their personalities, sense of humor, and infectious laughs made them loved and valued members of Impact through their childhood, youth group years, and into young adulthood. If you have been to Impact anytime in the last 25 years, it is likely you’ve met one of them and caught at least a glimpse of Jesus because of that interaction.
After graduating high school and spending several years navigating the difficult path of finding a career, Geremy was hired as Impact’s middle school minister, the position he still holds. He later married Kierra, who also grew up attending Impact, and two years ago they adopted a baby girl named Aaliyah.
Gerald married Casey, who also was in the Impact youth group, and they have a son, Charlie, who is now two. Gerald works as a driver for a company who sells and installs water equipment, a job he has held for three years now and is on track to making a career of. Over the last several years, Gerald has become close friends with Henry, one of his coworkers, and eventually invited him and his young family to Impact. They eventually accepted and began attending regularly.
Geremy has, over the last several years, been gradually working into the Sunday preaching rotation. On a recent Sunday when Geremy was preaching, Gerald’s friend Henry decided to be baptized. Gerald’s friendship and influence brought Henry to Impact, and Geremy baptized him that day.
It is amazing to see how far these two have come, from giggling four-year-olds from a marginalized background to being good husbands, good fathers, and good leaders at Impact and in their worlds. It was especially inspiring to see such a powerful example of this play out on that Sunday. Thank God for Geremy and Gerald, and may God continue to powerfully use and bless them and their families!
