On a sunny day in September on Bigbury Beach in Devon, England, Calvary Chapel pastors were prepared and eager to perform many baptisms on the shoreline. Food and Bibles were prepared for the 60 believers expected to show up for this event.
However, by the end of the day, 170 had been immersed in the sea making a public declaration of their faith in Jesus Christ.
“Many of the people that came to be baptized told us that many churches wanted a fee for them to be baptized or required a class to be taken. It was an interesting insight on the spiritual state of the country. So we opened it up as an outreach, purchased 200 hamburgers, 60 sausages, 40 hotdogs, and held a BBQ to feed anyone that would come.” Pastor Kenny Pope of Calvary Chapel Plymouth, England, explained.
It is no small task to talk with 170 believers, ensure that they know the decision that they are making, and get out in the water, according to Kenny. He reached out to other nearby pastors for help. Pastors Dan Arnold from Calvary Chapel Bristol, Andy Ley from Calvary Chapel Exeter, and John Williams from Ivybridge Baptist Church, all came over to lend a hand to Pastor Kenny and Merlin Kraft. Additionally, two elders and many believers from CC Plymouth assisted.
“We purchased 100 Bibles, printed 100 New Believer Studies to hand out to all that came,” Pastor Kenny noted. “We also gave out a list of all the Calvary Chapels in the UK.”
“This was never about numbers, this was about people understanding what baptism is all about.” Kenny acknowledged. “All the pastors present made the time to talk with the believers gathered and make sure that they were aware of the choice that they were making that day on the sand. We gathered everyone around, Dan and Debbie Arnold led us in worship, then we shared the gospel to anyone who would listen,” Pastor Kenny explained. “The power of the Word of God and the love of the brethren was evident on the Bigbury Beach.”
Pastor Kenny Pope has been a missionary pastor in Plymouth for seven years. Him and his wife, Missy, were sent from Calvary Chapel Vero Beach in 2019. Kenny is currently the pastor of Calvary Chapel Plymouth, UK.
Interest in the baptisms began when Merlin Kraft posted on his online ministry BibleLadUK that his church was holding public baptisms. He admitted that he didn’t expect the flood of responses that reached him after that post. “But the result was clear, God is working in the hearts of believers in the UK. People traveled from all over the country to reach Bigbury Beach, even walking for hours when buses or cars were unavailable. What started originally as a regular church baptism, turned into these public outreaches to fill the need of everyone requesting to be baptized.
When Merlin first received comments and messages through his online ministry BibleLadUK he reached out to his pastor, Kenny. They met and prayed that the Lord would open the door. Merlin is a home group leader at CC Plymouth and continues to reach out and share the gospel through BibleLadUK.
Calvary Chapel pastors in the UK will continue to provide opportunities for those who want to be baptized. The next planned baptism, for people responding to Merlin’s posts on BibleLadUK, will occur on October 10, hosted by Pastor Dave Sylvester of Calvary Chapel York, England. Pastor Dave and his wife Nancy have been serving the believers in York since 1996 when they came over as missionaries from America. The Lord also opened the door for them to open a Calvary Chapel Bible College in York that is currently in its 51st semester.
