Meet Cheryl Reddel

Sit down with Plymouth Brethren Christian Church (PBCC) member, Cheryl Reddel, as she shares her story as a single mother of two who left the Community when she was 18 years old and returned 25 years later.  

Transcript:

I am a single parent, so I have a home loan and I have to pay my bills.  I don’t know whether I could cope staying at home and being a housewife.

I left the community when I was 18 and came back when I was 43. When I left I was young, then I had a family and as my children grew, I realized that was the life I wanted.

I have two children Kira is nearly 28, and Mitch is 26. Mitch just got married, so no family extras yet. They’ve coped really well, because they weren’t born in the community, so it was different for them, but the Brethren surrounded them as family and friends that are in the community.

Easter comes and they all do the Easter egg hunts, so it’s not [that life outside the Church] is hidden from them. They all eat Easter eggs, so that’s not a problem and they know why. And there’s the Easter Bunny and then they have the hat parade at school.

It’s not really any different. Children have their photos taken with Santa, it’s not that we’re not allowed to go anywhere near him. We’re no different. We live, eat and breathe just like they do, just we have our beliefs and they have theirs.