Purdue University athletes baptized as revival spreads among college students
A recent baptism night for athletes at Purdue University is the latest sign that revival is sweeping the nation’s college campuses. The Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter at Purdue organized the one-night event after a series of athletes inquired about baptism, prompted by a Bible study about Jesus’ own baptism.
“A couple weeks ago, we were looking at the baptism of Jesus and there were some questions around what does baptism look like in your own life,” Joshua McKenzie of FCA Purdue told Sports Spectrum. “One athlete said they were interested in getting baptized, and honestly, that just kind of spurred in me that we should just give an invitation for any of our athletes to get baptized.”
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McKenzie scheduled an on-campus baptism night and saw 13 athletes follow through, including five football players, a few cheerleaders and a track athlete. The FCA chapter described the night as “nothing short of incredible.”
“Hearing so many powerful testimonies and seeing our peers boldly declare their faith reminded us of God’s presence and his work on our campus,” FCA Purdue said in a follow-up Instagram post. “Each story reflected courage, transformation and the beauty of surrendering to Christ. God is moving here, and we’re grateful to be part of it.”
The special baptism night was just one example of a movement of God across college campuses. More than 5,000 college students recently gathered in an arena near the University of Cincinnati for a worship event organized by UniteUS, which saw hundreds of students baptized. Similar events have been held this fall on campuses at Tennessee, Oklahoma, Grand Canyon and South Florida. Meanwhile, college athletes at Ohio State, Pittsburgh and Alabama have held their own worship services, inviting other students to hear their Christian testimonies.
Polling mirrors this trend. Barna released data revealing that interest in scripture among young adults is surging, with 50 percent of millennials and 49 percent of Gen Zers now saying they read the Bible weekly, an increase of 16 and 19 points, respectively, in just one year.
–Lee Hartman | Metro Voice
Photo: Purdue FCA
