History repeated itself as members of Lakeview Baptist Church gathered at Lake Ella for the opportunity to baptize some of their own.
“This is a way of showing the world that we won’t be silenced, that we believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior, that we will stand openly and tell others what we believe and why we believe it,” Pastor Rich Day said.
Day met his congregation at the lake on July 15 at 6:30 p.m. for the first of two special summer baptisms. The second will come in August. He greeted them and opened up the ceremony with prayer and reading from Scripture.
Despite being at the lake, the baptism was done in a small inflatable jacuzzi.
Although it’s called a lake, Lake Ella functions as a stormwater holding facility, helping manage runoff while serving as a public park and recreational space. Swimming and boating is not allowed, and it’s generally discouraged because of water quality concerns.
It wasn’t always like that, however. As Tallahassee Magazine once explained, the body of water once known as “Bull Pond dates back as far as the days of Reconstruction (1867), when some black churches held baptisms in its clear waters.”
Jessica Poppleton and Dean Bryant took the plunge on the hot evening. For Poppleton, it marked the beginning of a new chapter of her life and wanting to proclaim her faith.
Generally, Baptists believe baptism is an outward expression of a personal faith in Jesus Christ, so they practice baptism by immersion only after someone is old enough to make that decision for themselves.
“It’s about starting the next chapter of my life and doing so with a solid foundation and structure in my life to really guide me in the right direction and to do the right things,” Poppleton said.
Day welcomed people to join them at the nearby church in Levy Park on Sundays and that the church would be doing a relaunch in September. The church is at 222 W. 7th Ave.
Arianna Otero is the trending and breaking news reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact her via email at AOtero@tallahassee.com and follow her on X: @ari_v_otero.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Church revives historic baptism tradition at Lake Ella
Reporting by Arianna Otero, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Arianna Otero, Tallahassee Democrat | USA TODAY Network
