On Sabbath afternoon 7 December five new converts were added to the Great Yarmouth church. They all testified to their faith in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. Amongst them was an elderly lady who desired to be baptised but due to her infirmity, it was deemed inadvisable; so, she was accepted on 'Profession of Faith'. Members, friends and other visitors attended the service, not just from Great Yarmouth but also from further afield such as Lowestoft, Norwich and even the West Midlands. Extra seating was brought in, and all the seating was taken so that some were left standing.
Three pastors were involved in the service. District minister, Mark Borrett, presented a fitting message on the significance of the baptismal ceremony to beginning a new life in Christ. His wife Norma had prepared a well-presented short video on the five individuals having peace and salvation in Jesus. Each of the candidates were given opportunity to give their personal testimony and also to affirm their belief and acceptance of the teachings Jesus has commanded us to observe.
The first to enter the waters of baptism was Sharnie-Ann Bright, who had walked into our church several months ago, thinking we were a cult and having no idea what Seventh-day Adventists believed but became convinced we knew the Bible and followed its teachings. She also attended our Monday night Bible Studies and Prayer Meetings. She received studies from Pastor Borrett and then requested further studies on the Book of Revelation by Pastor Michael Walker (retired). Sharnie-Ann fought a battle against her former life as she was convicted it needed to be changed and she wanted to follow Jesus. Smoking was another issue that had to be overcome and by God's help, she eventually became smoke-free. At her request, she was immersed by Pastor Walker.
Justin Overton was then immersed by Pastor Rio Espulgar who travelled up to Great Yarmouth the previous day at Justin's request to perform his baptism. Pastor Espulgar had baptised Justin's wife when he served in this district. Justin had been attending our church during most of those successive years and was invited by Pastor Borrett to use his technical skills by caring for the PA system and assisting the pastor in managing our local website.
Tania helped study the Bible with her husband under the pastor's supervision. Later, both he and Sharnie-Ann attended a breathe-free seminar conducted by Pastors' Walker and Borrett, resulting in them both giving up smoking. Justin and Tania's twelve-year-old daughter Shauna was also baptised after receiving studies from Norma Borrett. She had waited a considerable time as she desired her dad to be baptised with her. Her prayer was granted. Shauna was baptised by Pastor Borrett along with her grandmother, Ana Nunes, who had also been waiting for this wonderful day. It was a great joy for Tania to witness her mum, daughter and husband uniting with her in the choice of committing their lives to Jesus.
After the baptisms, they were all received into the fellowship of our Great Yarmouth church; and joining with them on 'Profession of Faith' was Maureen Dogget whom Sharnie-Ann had been instrumental in bringing her along to the church. As Maureen's carer, it is fitting to mention that Sharnie-Ann goes beyond her required line of duty and travels to Maureen's home every day of the week to attend to her. Each of these new members received a meaningful gift from the local church as they were welcomed into our fellowship.
We thank God for these precious souls and with His help, we are looking forward to planning a further baptism in the not-too-distant future.
