How to Help
Bob Cheatheam, pastor of Pleasant Hills Country Church, is preparing a “Sober House” for four recovering addicts that will open in the fall. He is remodeling a trailer house in Pleasant Hills Mobile Home Park, located near his church, and is in need of donations, including a stove, refrigerator, water heater, and linoleum or tiles. All appliances must be electric. If you can help, contact Cheatheam at 325-518-8146.

By LORETTA FULTON

Both the ballcap and the tattoo on the inside of Bob Cheatheam’s right arm tell you something immediately about the man.

The cap says “Sober 4 Jesus” and the tattoo says “Ephesians 4:32” with the words “Be kind…” underneath. The full scripture says, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

The messages of the hat and the tattoo are coming together as Cheatheam prepares to open a “Sober House” on Trailend Drive in far north Abilene this fall. His efforts were aided Saturday, June 3, by about a dozen members of the men’s ministry team at Pioneer Drive Baptist Church, headed by Nathan Adams.

Volunteers from the men’s ministry team at Pioneer Drive Baptist Church assist with the remodeling of a trailer house that will serve as a home for four recovering addicts. Nathan Adams, kneeling in white cap, heads the men’s ministry at the church. Bob Cheatheam, standing at right, is pastor of Pleasant Hills Country Church, which is sponsoring the home. Photo by Loretta Fulton

“Oh, man, it was awesome,” Cheatheam said to Adams as the final demolition work ended Saturday morning.

As proof, Cheatheam pointed to the large construction waste bin nearby. It was filled to overflowing with old furniture and the “guts” of the trailer house that is being turned into a house for four men who are recovering from alcohol and drug addiction. A supervisor also will live in the house. 

When the project is finished, the trailer will have a new coat of white paint, new flooring, furniture and appliances. Cheatheam is pastor of the nearby Pleasant Hills Country Church after a lifetime of preaching at churches in southern California, North Dakota, and Texas. He has been in Texas the past 17 years and most recently was at Elmdale Baptist Church for seven years. And, he’s a retired school bus driver.

Bob Cheatheam shows a tattoo from Ephesians on his right arm in the photo at left. The photo at right shows the gutted traier house that will become a “Sober House” sponsored by the church Cheatheam pastors. Photos by Loretta Fulton

Nowadays, he’s putting his heart and soul into his church and the “Sober House,” which is owned by the church. The occupants will be referred from the parole system. Cheatheam is in the process of finding a man who will serve as the house manager, a man who is firm but compassionate and committed to the Lord.

“I’m going to be very, very picky,” Cheatheam said. 

That goes for the “Sober 4 Jesus” men, too. They will be required to sign a contract requiring them to get a job, maintain the yard and a garden, cook their meals, clean up after themselves, be involved with a 12-Step group, and attend church. 

Cheatheam’s interest in helping addicts get back on their feet comes from a couple of places. First is the scripture tattooed on his arm. He earned a bachelor’s degree in religion in 1984 from Hardin-Simmons University and has a master of arts degree in religious education from Southwest Baptist Theological Seminary. 

Bob Cheatheam rests against an industrial waste bin that was filled Saturday morning, June 3, with debris from a gutted trailer house. Volunteers from Pioneer Drive Baptist Church assisted Cheatheam with the demolition. The trailer is being transformed into a “Sober House” sponsored by Cheatheam’s church. Photo by Loretta Fulton

The other connection is from being around people struggling with addictions of various kinds. He, too, has overcome an addiction to prescription pain killers. A few years ago, he got certified as a chemical dependency counselor.

Cheatheam is a preacher at heart and firm believer in the power of the church. And that is the primary he will require the “Sober 4 Jesus” men to attend church. And if they don’t have transportation, that’s no problem. 

“They can walk to a church right down the street, “ Cheatheam said, pointing in the direction of his own church. 

Loretta Fulton is editor of Spirit of Abilene