by Merlin Kraft, Premier Christianity
When Merlin Kraft posted a video of a baptism he had attended on his social media channel, he wasn’t prepared for the reaction it would get. As people started asking if they could get baptised too, he knew he had to respond. Here’s what happened next
If you had told me beforehand that 170 people were going to be baptised in the sea at Bigbury, in Devon, I’m not sure I would have believed you.
If I’d had to guess at a number, I probably would have said 30.
The whole thing began after I posted a video of a baptism I had attended on my social media channel, BibleLadUK. I simply filmed what was happening and shared it, not expecting much from it. But then the messages started. Followers asked me: “Can I be baptised like this?”
So, with support from my pastor at Calvary Chapel Plymouth, I arranged a beach baptism at Jennycliff in Plymouth in June, and 28 people were baptised. I filmed that too and shared it online – and afterwards the response was even bigger.
We decided to organise another event, this time at Bigbury-on-Sea. I put the invitation out through BibleLadUK: if you have put your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour and want to publicly declare that faith through baptism, you are welcome. No tickets. No charge. No booking. Just come.
But despite all the messages, I genuinely had no idea how many people would actually show up. When I got to the beach that morning, hardly anyone was there. Then, slowly, people started to arrive.