By Mark H. Hunter, Special to the Message
COVINGTON – “I feel clean! I’m clean of all my sins!” proclaimed a joyous Simon Rucker as he waded up out of the Bogue Falaya River on Sunday afternoon, September 11.[img_assist|nid=7619|title=Amazing sight|desc=Fifty-seven people participated in First Baptist Church’s third annual mass baptism at Bogue Falaya Park. Several hundred friends and family members lined the muddy river’s sandy banks, clapping, cheering and taking photographs as the participants emerged smiling from the river.|link=none|align=right|width=640|height=320]
Rucker, 8, was one of 57 older children, teens and adults who participated in First Baptist Church’s third annual mass baptism at Bogue Falaya Park. Like all the others he had previously prayed to accept Jesus into his heart and was publicly declaring his faith by being baptized.
A small choir set the mood by singing, “Come Just As You Are,” and “Let’s Go Down to the River to Pray,” as the group assembled under shady cypress, tupelo and gum trees.
Several hundred friends and family members lined the muddy river’s sandy banks, clapping, cheering and taking photographs as the participants emerged dripping and smiling from the chilly water.
Waylon Bailey, senior pastor of the 4,000 member church, and his seven associate pastors lined up in waist-deep water to baptize eight people at a time. First in line was Bailey’s grandson Jake Mizell, 9 years old.
“We’ve got a lot of people here today and it’s wonderful,” Bailey said to the crowd, then asked the Lord to bless the entire assembly.
As each set of participants entered the water the pastors announced their names. After each immersion cheers and applause rippled across the river valley.
For one group, David Hankins, executive director of the Louisiana Baptist Convention, joined the pastors to baptize his granddaughter Kate Hankins, 8, who attends First Covington with her family.
Associate Pastor Jay Johnston, who organized the event, said they also regularly perform baptisms in the sanctuary. So far this year, including those on this day, Johnston estimated about 140 have been baptized.
About half were new believers, Johnston said, and the other half were new members or people who wanted to rededicate their lives to the Lord.
“They are doing this because they want to show their obedience to Christ,” Johnston said. “It is important to the church and is important to them because it was important to Jesus.”
Several entire families were baptized together, including Simon Rucker and his mother Susan Wright, her husband Wade Wright and his 13-year-old daughter Alexis Wright.
“We’re happy,” Wade Wright said. “It makes me glad,” added Susan as the wet family hugged each other. “It was cold but refreshing!” added Alexis.
Chester McComas, 72, said he was baptized 35 years ago but spent most of his adult life away from God. Three years ago some neighbors who attend First Baptist “kept after me” to attend church, he said, and he and his wife finally relented.
[img_assist|nid=7620|title=River Baptism|desc=Eight-year-old Simon Rucker was one of 57 children, teens and adults who participated in First Covington’s third annual mass baptism at Bogue Falaya Park.|link=none|align=right|width=640|height=436]“I got my life right and now I want to be baptized proper,” McComas said prior to the ceremony. “I wasn’t real truthful the first time. Now I understand what I’m doing.”
Nine-year-old Eli Jones felt just as good as his friend Simon when he came up out of the water. “I feel like my sins are all gone – like I never did anything!” he declared to his smiling parents.
Eli’s father, Charlie Jones, said he was baptized at this church 43 years ago at the age of 10, adding that they led Eli to Jesus at their home. “As a young boy – he understood.”
Theresa Jones said she grew up a Catholic, met Jesus as a teenager and was baptized in the Atlantic Ocean at a Campus Crusade event. “Eli is the youngest of our four children to be baptized; we’re very proud of him,” she said.
Ken and Kristi Cartwright were Methodists before they started attending First Covington two years ago. “We’re joining the church,” Ken said. Joining them was daughter Caitlyn Deal, 16, and her friend, Meghan Copeland, 16. “I just got saved Wednesday,” Copeland said. “I’m excited!”
Treasure Washington, 15, was baptized by Student Pastor Shane Booker. “This sets a good example for the other students by showing them what it means to be a Christian,” Booker said later.
Treasure’s parents, Alfred and Janice Washington, took lots of photos and videoed the event. “I’m just so happy,” mom Janice said. “We are so proud of her!”
Daniella Aparicio, 6, said “it felt cold in the water” and explained her baptism “is a symbol for accepting Jesus into my heart.” Her great-grandmother, Laurie Hall, traveled from Bogalusa and was at the waterside in her wheelchair as Daniella was baptized.
“My whole family is born again,” the elderly Hall said as tears welled up in her eyes. “There are 29 of us including 19 grandchildren.”
Kevin Harless, children’s pastor, baptized Simon Rucker and Daniella Aparicio, along with several other children. “The Spirit is moving in our children’s ministry,” Harless said. “The parents have gotten the children receptive to the Spirit and they are responding.”
Ken Perkins, 60, who sported a large tattoo on his left arm of a bleeding Christ wearing a crown of thorns, was baptized along with his 34-year-old daughter, Jessica Francis.
“This is something I’ve needed to do for a very long time,” Perkins said. “I was sprinkled as a Catholic, as a baby, raised a Methodist and wound up in a Baptist church. This church is what church is supposed to be like – bringing people to Christ! This is what I was looking for.”