Mass Baptism Breaks Out at Auburn, Tigers Coach Seen in the Water
Never underestimate the persistent prayers of a faithful few.
Alabama’s Auburn University, about 50 miles northeast of Montgomery, was the site of 200 spontaneous baptisms in one night after a campus worship program, according to Fox News.
The scene took place Tuesday, after a worship service at Auburn’s Neville Arena, home of the university’s NCAA basketball and volleyball teams.
According to Fox, the “Unite Auburn” event included an appearance by the Christian band Passion, along with speakers such as Christian author Jennie Allen and the Rev. Jonathan Pokluda, lead pastor of Harris Creek Baptist Church in Waco, Texas.
When the worship was ending, one student wanted to be baptized, Fox reported. But since no tub was available, the crowd went to the lake at Auburn’s Red Barn, a venue about a half-mile away. What started out as a single baptism turned into a glorious event where roughly 200 worshippers gave their lives to Christ.
Another student, a player on the school’s football team, wanted to be baptized but didn’t want to go in alone, according to WSFA-TV in Montgomery. That’s when Auburn Tigers head football coach Hugh Freeze waded into the water to support the new believer, senior Michael Floyd told WSFA.
“I’ve seen Auburn basketball beat Kentucky, I’ve seen Auburn football beat Alabama, but I have never seen something like I did on Tuesday night,” Floyd said.
Listen to the shouts of joy as each student emerges from the water.
A revival is happening tonight in Auburn. People are getting baptized at Red Barn with hundreds of people cheering them on. The baptisms started following an event at Neville arena tonight called Unite. @TheAUPlainsman @AUFAMILY pic.twitter.com/PzEza1UWKz
— Kristen Carr (@kristencarrau) September 13, 2023
The video above was taken by Kristen Carr, an Auburn student and journalist.
“Never in my life,” Carr told WSFA. “I was even talking to adults who were there that were a part of it, and they said that they had never witnessed anything like that.
“Everyone was so just excited and joyful.”
While the event was undoubtedly beautiful and moving, what is even more powerful is that the entire movement started with prayers from just five earnest young women who met together in the arena each week to pray, Tonya Prewett, organizer of the event, told WSFA.
The prayer meeting of five turned into a meeting of 200, and then local ministries decided to “get behind it to turn it into something much bigger,” Prewett said.
“We see God moving in our local churches, and so last night was just a ripple effect of what is already going on,” Prewett said.
The station’s report is below:
Our news is filled with so much filth every day, especially when it comes to young people and their choices.
To see a group of young people choose to wade into a lake in the middle of the night to make a statement for Jesus is like a cup of cool water in the desert.
It gives you the strength to keep on the journey.
REVIVAL AT AUBURN
Hearing reports of a move of God at Auburn University, where hundreds of college students were spontaneously baptized.
It all started when just a few students committed to pray for revival. 😯🙌🏼 pic.twitter.com/9RYjJxf3gS
— Matt Brown (@evangelistmatt) September 16, 2023
It also proves that those prayers on the field or at the flagpole are more than just symbolic.
They have the power to bring down the power of God and transform lives.
And what the Tigers’ football coach did is a demonstration of the fact that young people of this generation are not beyond hope.
They just need someone to get into the water with them.
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