One by one, about 40 people stepped into the pool, completing the final step in their baptism as Jehovah's Witnesses. Leaning back into the hands of church elders, the baptism candidates immersed thems
LISA MUNGER / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Friday, July 4, 2008 7:00 pm
One by one, about 40 people stepped into the pool, completing the final step in their baptism as Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Leaning back into the hands of church elders, the baptism candidates immersed themselves in the water at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln on Saturday.
“Immersion is a symbol,” said George Reed Jr. of Seward, a congregation elder. “A public symbol of private dedication, just as Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River.”
Nearly 6,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses gathered at Devaney for the group’s annual district convention. Members from Nebraska, South Dakota, Missouri and Kansas are included in the region.
Aside from the baptism, the three-day convention that ends Sunday included symposiums, music and prayer.
Katie Hunt, 17, of Gordon became a member with her baptism Saturday.
Hunt was born with spina bifida, a condition that prevents proper development of the spine, causing limited mobility.
She said her childhood was filled with a succession of surgeries and medical procedures. Now, she is looking forward to Paradise, the Witnesses’ conception of life after death.
“I’m really excited to get rid of this wheelchair,” she said. “God has the power to fix all of our ailments.”
Another elder, Javan Allen of Bellevue, said congregation members undergo baptism by choice, after they are old enough to decide whether they want to join the group.
“Baptism is a commitment based on knowledge,” Reed said.
After baptism, Witnesses become ministers of the faith, Allen said, with the most common form of ministry being door-to-door proselytizing.
“People in larger cities witness on the street or by calling people on the phone,” Allen said.
He said he doesn’t think people generally have more misconceptions of Jehovah’s Witnesses than with other religious groups.
In his speech before the baptism, speaker Todd Landry, a traveling Witness representative, said the baptism was the most important milestone in the candidates’ lives.
“You are showing today you are taking sides with Jehovah,” he said.
Reach Lisa Munger at 473-7306 or lmunger@journalstar.com.