Longview baptisms declare: ‘I am not ashamed’

LONGVIEW—Pastor Glynn Stone asked people in worship services at Mobberly Baptist Church to proclaim one simple yet powerful message through action: “I am not ashamed.”

They did it in droves.

Eighty people were baptized Aug. 18 after the pastor explained the significance of the ordinance and provided biblical examples of believers submitting to baptism as a public display of a decision to follow Christ.

Mobberly Baptist Church Senior Pastor Glynn Stone explains the importance of baptism during the “I Am Not Ashamed” emphasis.“Baptism is a sermon of you committing your life to Jesus Christ,” he said. “Today, we get to celebrate that.”

Removing the barriers

The church attempted to remove all barriers that cause people to postpone baptism. Horse troughs set up on the platform served as baptisteries. Individuals who came forward were baptized that morning. The church provided a change of clothes for any who felt they weren’t dressed appropriately.

Some people postpone baptism, Stone said in his sermon. The longer they put it off, the harder it is to get around to doing it. But Christ’s example of baptism by immersion remains, he stressed.

“The longer you wait to do what’s right, the harder it gets,” he said. “That’s just the reality. We have a whole lot of people packing the pews of different churches who know Jesus as their Savior who have never been baptized, biblically baptized.”

Of the 80 baptisms, 32 involved people who made first-time professions of faith that morning. The rest were following up on a profession of faith they had made earlier in life.

84-year-old

An 84-year-old man was baptized about 60 years after committing to follow Christ. A woman who had just moved to Longview was baptized. A couple living together were baptized and sought a marriage license the next morning.

Jay Shepherd, the church’s minister of outreach and assimilation, said the excitement in the special services was palpable. People were eager to get baptized. The congregation held a similar day last year and baptized 55 people. The large number of people making decisions this year further reflects the need for churches to give people the opportunity to testify about their faith, he said.

Mobberly Baptist Church seeks to present the gospel clearly and often, Shepherd said. People are encouraged to live out their faith day-to-day. As they declared, “I am not ashamed,” they took another step in that journey.

“We make the gospel readily available to the people,” he said. “We train people to live out their faith. Everyday faith is what we call it.”