Keenan Darby watched with joy as 10 students went through the baptism pool at First Baptist Church Pikeville, Kentucky, on a Sunday as an appreciative congregation celebrated each one with equal enthusiasm and excitement.
Darby, the associate student and mission pastor, said the baptisms were the culmination of a summer to remember. He watched students grow in their spiritual life from the start of summer to the end.
“It was one of those summers you never forget in ministry,” he said. “You dream to see maturity and growth in student ministry, hoping they get it. And, oh, they got it. They took ownership of it after they got it.”
The 10 baptisms in one day were reportedly the most at FBC Pikeville.
Fruitful summer
Senior pastor John Lucas said it was a great day of celebration that culminated from a great summer of ministry.
“The baptisms were a combination of youth ministry activities and our children’s ministry,” he said. “It went from baptizing VBS kids to a lot of high school students, the majority of which had not taken steps to believer’s baptism. I’m very proud of them.”
Lucas said there was a “lot of fruit from our summer” and he gave staff members Matthew Bone and Darby praise for their leadership. “They are incredible partners in ministry,” the pastor said. “They have pastoral roles, and we treat them in that way. They have thrived in that model.
“My prayer was that God would build a team of leaders here that would genuinely be a pastor-driven model. I never dreamed it would happen this quick.”
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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Mark Maynard and originally published by Kentucky Today.
