By Diana Chandler
Baptist Press
Southern Baptist Convention President J.D. Greear baptizes a new believer at The Summit Church on Baptism Day Sept. 8.
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HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — A couple (names withheld by request) so appreciated the gospel call at Christ Community Church in Huntersville, N.C., on Sept. 8 that they hugged pastor Ronnie Parrott and cried after their baptisms moments later.
“They were in tears and grateful that we cared enough about them to give them that opportunity to know Christ, to know the true gospel and then to identify with Him through baptism,” Parrott told Baptist Press.
The couple was among hundreds or more new believers who made professions of faith at Southern Baptist churches on Baptism Day and were baptized the same day, 15 of them at Christ Community Church.
Baptisms ranged from 1 to more than 100 among several Southern Baptist congregations, according to reports to BP and on social media. Baptism Day was Sept. 8 on the Southern Baptist Convention Calendar.
“In the New Testament, we see this happen every time someone gives their life to Christ,” Parrott said. “To follow the Lord in baptism is an important first step in following Christ, and we believe it’s important to do this regularly and often.”
Several Tennessee Baptist churches participated in Baptism Sunday.
At Bellevue Baptist Church, Cordova, 106 people were baptized. Steve Marcum, minister of missions at Bellevue, said the church originally had 46 people scheduled to be baptized that Sunday.
Marcum noted that Bellevue pastor Steve Gaines sensed the Lord was leading people to respond and during the altar call people responded with salvation decisions and were included among those baptized that afternoon. “It was an incredible day” and one that Bellevue “won’t forget,” he said.
Belfast Baptist Church in Belfast, a small rural congregation, also had a day that pastor Daniel Johnson won’t soon forget.
The church, which averages about 23-25 in attendance, had not seen any salvation decisions in the two years Johnson has been with the congregation. But in the last three months, the church has baptized seven people, including three on Baptism Sunday.
Bruce Chesser
“I can’t attribute it to anything but the Holy Spirit moving in a big way. It’s amazing what has happened,” the pastor affirmed.
Bruce Chesser, senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Hendersonville, baptized 13 members on Baptism Sunday.
He noted the church had held a “spontaneous baptism service” in May. He preached on salvation and stressed the importance of baptism and 65 people were baptized that day.
Chesser noted they did not sponsor a similar service on Sept. 8 but promoted Baptism Day and he said he would be available for anyone who wanted to be baptized that Sunday.
Normally, baptisms are conducted by staff ministers.
He said 13 people responded including two people in their 80s. Another five people were baptized the following week including a 77-year-old on a walker.
Chesser said First Baptist Church had a goal of 200 baptisms this church year, which ends Sept. 29. He is confident the church will meet the goal or be very close.
The church emphasizes evangelism and baptisms year-round and has seen people baptized nearly every week this year, he added.
J.D. Greear
SBC President J.D. Greear, senior pastor of The Summit Church in the Raleigh-Durham, N.C. area, encouraged pastors to conduct baptisms during the SBC-wide event.
“Is there anything that should get us more excited?” Greear told BP after Baptism Day. “Jesus said there is more joy in heaven over one sinner that repents than over 99 that are already His.
Greear said he was excited to see the participation in Baptism Sunday across the nation.
“I was encouraged to see so many churches issue an intentional call to embrace the Lordship of Christ and express that through baptism!” Greear said. “May God give these churches grace to ensure these are not just converts but disciples.”
— B&R editor Lonnie Wilkey contributed to this story.
