ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. – Energy infused the worship center of West Edgecomb Baptist Church in Rocky Mount as the digital timer on the screen at front counted down the minutes. The congregation had reason to celebrate on Sunday, April 27.
Five were baptized.
From the elevated baptistry behind the pulpit, Pastor Matthew Mayo said, “Every Sunday is Easter Sunday as we celebrate the resurrection.”
Sporting t-shirts with “Made New” and 1 Corinthians 5:17 across the front, the five — two children, two college students, and one adult man — answered the pastor’s questions and entered the waters of baptism.
Similar scenarios occurred in Southern Baptist churches across the nation as congregations observed Baptism Sunday, many posting photos on social media with the hashtag #fillthetank.
Southern Baptists celebrated baptisms amidst an encouraging trend in increased baptisms over the last few years.
Lifeway Christian Resources reported last year that the “total baptisms in Southern Baptist-affiliated congregations grew to 226,919 in 2023,” a nearly 26 percent jump from the prior year. Thirty-five of 41 Southern Baptist state conventions experienced “year-to-year growth in the total number of baptisms.”
Romans 6 inspiration
“Buried with Christ in baptism … raised to walk in newness of life,” said Rick Miller, pastor of Revive Church in McGehee, Ark., while baptizing three church members.
Marcus Haddock, an elder at Revive Church, joined the pastor in the water to assist in baptizing Brian Gilbert, a young man Haddock had coached and mentored. Gilbert requested Haddock’s participation.
Haddock invited Gilbert and his family to the church more than a year ago. On Baptism Sunday, Miller and Haddock baptized a joyful Gilbert.
Miller’s sermon, drawn from Romans 6, focused on baptism.
“Baptism identifies us with Jesus,” Miller said. “It is an outward demonstration of an inward transformation.”
He said to the baptism candidates, “This is your launching point … a step of obedience that God said to do,” and reminded the congregation that baptism celebrates the resurrection.
“You are not defined by your past sin,” Miller said. “Christ covered that at the cross.”
Pastor Jimmy King of Good News Baptist Church in Roanoke Rapids, N.C., also based his sermon Sunday on Romans 6. With a look of joy on his face, he baptized Steve Gillifan, according to a social media post by North Carolina Baptists.
“This is Fill the Tank Day, and at our church we’re fortunate that we can have our tank filled this Sunday,” King told his congregation before his sermon.
The rest of the story
For Slackland Baptist Church in Leesburg, Ala., Baptism Sunday brought a “celebration of the baptism and profession of faith” of member Isaac Barnett, the church announced on social media.
Jay Penton, pastor of Slackland Baptist, shared the rest of Barnett’s story with Baptist Press. Penton came to the church last October and met Barnett four months ago. The young man was “lying in a hospital bed in Birmingham,” paralyzed from the waist down following an accident. Barnett and his father had formerly attended Slackland.
“[Isaac] could only move his toes,” Penton recalled. “I sat with him an hour, prayed with him and left.” Within a week, Barnett texted the pastor that he had just walked to the end of the hall using a walker.
“Another week, and he is checking out of the hospital,” Penton said. The next Sunday, Barnett started coming to church using a walker, then a cane, and eventually without assistance.
“A few weeks ago, he was out back playing basketball with the youth,” Penton said. When Barnett told Penton that he had been baptized as a kid but “didn’t know what he was doing,” Penton shared the Gospel. Barnett accepted Christ the Wednesday before Easter and scheduled his baptism.
A prayer and family affair
Baptism Sunday was a multigenerational, family affair for First Bethany Baptist Church in McCormick, S.C. Among the three members baptized were a father and son duo, Michael and Wyatt Pearce, in addition to young Dylan Weaghington. All three joined the church that day with their families.
After Michael was baptized by Pastor John Alexander, he stayed to assist in the baptism of his son Wyatt.
Oakdale Baptist Church of Rocky Mount, N.C., celebrated 10 professions of faith and baptized new believers on Sunday. The church said on social media, “We began praying in January for today and God answered our prayers with calling people unto Himself.”
Brandon Watson, who became the church’s senior pastor on Jan. 1 of this year, explained that he had asked the congregation to pray for “what God could possibly do” regarding the Fill the Tank initiative. Messages and Bible studies focused on the ordinance of baptism, especially in the past two weeks.
“It was a call to action for people to make a decision to respond to God in obedience through baptism,” Watson said.
He added that of the 10 baptized Sunday, some were young children raised in the church, some came to faith previously but had never been baptized, and one wished to be rebaptized after gaining a fuller understanding of its significance.
‘The water’s still here’
Back at Revive Church, not everything went according to plan the day Gilbert was baptized. Between leaks and partially opened drains, the baptistry had to be refilled three times. The heater tripped a breaker during the night and the baptismal water on April 27 was chilly.
“It was not warm,” Miller said. “We’ve joked that we are leaving the water in there till Mother’s Day, when we will baptize five more.”
Then, he told his congregation, “God invites each of us to follow Him. …Our answer should always be yes.”
Miller then said with a smile: “The water’s still here.”