This Wednesday, a new church member was baptized in a dramatic fashion. The man braved frigid waters at Oregon’s Lake Billy Chinook so that people could witness his spiritual rebirth. According to local sources, the water was 42 degrees. The new member of The Metolius Friends Community Church was clearly ecstatic about the ceremony.
After the heartfelt ceremony, the church’s men’s group took a bracing plunge in freezing the water to celebrate New Year’s Day. The men’s group wrapped up with a warm breakfast together. Pastor Jadon Ross explained, “It was a great start to the new year for our guys, getting out, having fun, leaving the old behind, and pushing on to what’s new and next in 2025.”
A video of the event shows the church member bracing himself for baptism. Ross said “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, I baptize you,” as he lowered him under the surface. The crowd cheered and applauded as the smiling member emerged from the water.
Video footage shows the church member readying himself for his baptism. “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, I baptize you,” Ross said as he helped the man go under the water. Cheers and applause were heard when the church member emerged from the water, smiling. The church took to social media to share photos of the men.
The post read: “A great start to 2025!” The church describes on its website that it wish “to see people transformed into fully mature followers of Jesus, and to impact our community with hope by living, loving, and serving like Christ.” Last year, we reported on the stunning baptism of over 14,500 people by a brave missionary in Brazil.
Residents in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest have recently enjoyed a massive spiritual revival that is transforming the region’s religious makeup. After centuries of Catholic influence in the area, reports indicate that evangelical Christianity has been making great strides, with thousands converting and new churches being planted. This massive conversion has shocked everyone.
For years, Christians traveled down the Amazon River and its winding tributaries to spread the Gospel to the tens of millions of people who reside in the region. “Those early days were definitely much, much more difficult than today,” stated Josué Bengtson, pastor of Belem Foursquare Church. Bengtson has spent decades traversing the river’s intricate network, first as a missionary and then as a pastor spreading the evangelical message of salvation.
Watch the Uplifting Baptism:
However, Bengston noted that the evangelical mission has picked up speed, where they are well on their way to baptize 30,000 people this year. “In the first six months of this year we baptized 14,500 people. Our goal for this year is to baptize over 30,000 people,” said Bengtson. Esequiel Santo described his calling to spread the good news of Jesus Christ at a young age. “I was 15 years old when God called me to reach the unreached peoples of the Amazon,” he said. Santo has led missionary efforts in the jungle for over three decades.
Featured image: Screen shot from embedded video.