I have to admit I was a bit out of the loop with all that has been happening on the beaches of Britain these past few months. Now that I have subscribed to Calvary Chapel Magazine, I am catching up on the reports of believers being baptised in public. It started small. Back in June at Jennycliff near Plymouth there were about twenty-eight. Then on the fifth of September at Bigbury-on-Sea in Devon the number grew to one hundred and seventy. And just recently, on the tenth of October at Bridlington, somewhere around five hundred and fifty people were baptised in the North Sea.

These gatherings have been organised through Merlin Kraft and his BibleLadUK ministry, which is on Instagram. He is a home-group leader at Calvary Chapel Plymouth, working under his pastor, Kenny Pope. The one at Bridlington was hosted together with Calvary Chapel York and Pastor Dave Sylvester. Other Calvary Chapel pastors and volunteers from the area have been helping as well.

What has encouraged me is that the pattern has stayed clear. Salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. Baptism does not save anyone. It is what a person does after they have already trusted the Lord—>stepping out publicly to say they belong to Him and to identify with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. The Gospel has been shared. Bibles have been given out. And people have been pointed toward local churches so they can keep growing.

These gatherings remind us of the simple beach baptisms that marked the early days of Calvary Chapel at places such as Pirate’s Cove. The setting may change and the numbers may vary, but the heart of the matter remains the same: men and women who have trusted Christ standing before others saying, “I am His.”

We can thank the Lord for that. At the same time, we remember that coming out of the water is only the beginning. Those who have believed need to be taught the Word and joined to a fellowship where they can be strengthened and discipled. That is where real growth happens.

As we rejoice in what is taking place in England, I find myself praying here in Scotland as well. The earlier Calvary Chapel in Glasgow has closed, and that city still needs a clear, steady witness—one that simply teaches the Scriptures and points people to Jesus. My prayer is that the Lord would raise up faithful servants and, in His time, a new Calvary Chapel fellowship there. He is able.

So we give thanks for every life touched by the Gospel. We pray that those who were baptised will find solid churches and keep walking with the Lord. And we ask Him to keep His people faithful, simply teaching His Word and simply trusting Him.

Calvary Chapel Fellowships Involved

If you are looking for a Bible-teaching church connected with these baptisms, here are some of the fellowships that have been serving:

• Calvary Chapel Plymouth (Pastor Kenny Pope)
  Website: calvaryplymouth.co.uk
  Sundays at 10:30 a.m., Harewood House, Ridgeway, Plympton, Plymouth PL7 2AS
• Calvary Chapel York (Pastor Dave Sylvester)
  Website: calvarychapelyork.com
  Sundays at 10:30 a.m., 1 Barbican Road, York YO10 5AA
  (Also home to Calvary Chapel Bible College UK)
• Calvary Chapel Bristol (Pastor Dan Arnold)
  Website: calvarychapelbristol.co.uk
• Calvary Chapel Exeter (Pastor Andy Ley)
  Website: calvaryexeter.co.uk
  Sundays at 11:00 a.m.

These are fellowships that teach the Scriptures simply, verse by verse, and hold to the same understanding of the Gospel and believer’s baptism that we have described. If you are nearby, or even if you are not, it is worth getting in touch and finding a place where you can be rooted in the Word.