NNSW Big Camp - Roughly 35 baptism and 32+ to go…

(A friend of mine who is a reporter in Australia just wrote me inquiring about the baptisms at the NNSW Big Camp the final Sabbath we were there… Here is my take on the story...). 

While en route to Big Camp, I knew that the one thing that was going to be talked about in the 18+ tent was Jesus.  As in Jesus period!  We would start Friday evening in Genesis and end 8 days later in Revelation. 

Come Friday afternoon the team was assembling and I heard that a pastor fried of mine (Mark Tipple) was scheduled to get baptized the following Sabbath at Big Camp along with several others who I have seen in leadership roles at previous Big Camps as well as other events I’ve been involved with.  Upon this discovery, I asked everyone around the circle to raise their hand if they had not been baptized.  To my surprise roughly half of the circle of leaders had not be baptized.  Through some inquiry of my own I found that it wasn’t that these people didn’t love Jesus, it was that they were opposed to joining the Seventh-day Adventist Church, not due to theological issues, rather because of some of the wounds the church had inflicted on them or their peers. 

Friday night was an introduction to a man who was fully human and fully God, Jesus.  We ended that night looking at the fact that salvation is found in, and only in Jesus.  I told the crowd right then and there that we were going to be talking about the birth, childhood and baptism of Jesus on Monday night at which time I was going to make an invitation specifically for the people who knew Jesus, were following Jesus, but had never been baptized.  So Friday night, that is what I did.  I made a specific appeal for that group of people who were already studied up and following Him, but hadn’t crossed the line through baptism.  It was simple, not drawn out.  Some 30 people came forward (I’m really bad at numbers). 

Jeff Parker and myself met with the group briefly that night and then invited them back for another meeting the next day.  On Tuesday we confirmed contact information and started work on connecting the pastor to the candidate.  This gave us ample amount of time to clear up any questions and make sure that the person was ready to take the plunge. 

I am sure that your son has told you about Lydia who was baptized on Friday morning.  Then on Sabbath morning there were several baptism going on (I was literally running down the beach to witness them) and that afternoon after church was the same deal.  All in all Jeff tells me that some 35 were baptized that day (I sure some of whom were not in the 18+ tent, but I am under the impression that most of them were).  Then yesterday Jeff wrote me to tell me that another 32 people marked on the appeal card that was given on the last Friday night of Big Camp to be baptized.  When I posted that on my Facebook page, another girl wrote and said make that 33 as she had decided to be baptized as well! 

Simply put, to God be the glory.  He had an agenda for those people in that tent that week.  I would say one of the most moving stories for me personally was Lydia’s journey.  Here is a girl that I’ve seen at every Big Camp and actively involved in leadership.  I don’t know here very well, but enough to hug her when I saw her.  She was one of the people that I pulled aside on the first Friday to try to better understand why she hadn’t been baptized.  That following Friday before Bevan dipped her in the water her sister shared the story how during the week leading up to Big Camp Lydia told her, “Matty Gamble is coming back to Big Camp.  I am going to talk with him about his take on baptism.” Not knowing any of this, the Spirit led me to put her on the spot and ask her why she hadn’t been baptized.  When I heard her sister sharing this testimony, I nearly lost it emotionally as God had literally worked a miracle in front of our eyes and I was completely oblivious to it!  Sabbath October 17, 2009 is one day that I will never forget.  We witnessed mountains moving in the tent that week.  GOD IS GOOD!

It’s all about Jesus!

Matthew

Posted by matthew gamble on October 24, 2009 at 12:19 AM
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