This week’s “Faith and Religion” story features new programs and creative workarounds that arose during the pandemic to address long-standing problems like systemic racism, religious siloing and mental health concerns. Here’s Chris Hedlin, PublicSource’s faith and religion reporter, with one interesting fact that didn’t make it into the story:
The story mentions “baptisms in bathtubs.” This insight came from talking with Pastor Jeff Leake of Allison Park Church, a multi-campus worshipping community spread throughout the Pittsburgh area. Leake described how some adults in the community sought to be baptized while the church was remote. Rather than make them wait for in-person services to resume, pastors from the church presided over at-home baptisms of several varieties: in a bathtub, in backyard pools, even “ice bucket challenge” style, where the baptized got drenched from large buckets of water overhead.
Theologically, the church believes in full immersion baptism. They want enough water present that the person can be entirely submerged, symbolizing the death of their former life and the rise of their new Christian life. However, Leake said, in times of crisis, the church doesn’t want logistics to get in the way of people’s desires to dedicate their lives to Christ. “It’s less about where it happens, and more about why it happens,” Leake said
I hope you enjoy reading the rest of the story!
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