Your church planters have been busy with baptisms this summer! Praise the Lord!
Heritage BFC
On July 26, Church Planter Shawn Rohrbach baptized one young adult man in an inflatable baptistry outside of the Grange Building where Heritage BFC in Kutztown PA meets for Sunday worship. The church plant attenders gathered around the grassy area. The young man gave his testimony and Shawn immersed him in the pool. Everyone cheered!
Living Word Fellowship
Less than a week later, Church Planter Christian Lefko held Living Word Fellowship’s first baptism on Saturday, August 1. One woman was baptized. She shared about how she heard a lot about Jesus growing up, but it wasn’t until the last few years when she got plugged into a young adult group that her now-husband invited her to, and she understood for the first time that Christ died for her.
Living Word Fellowship held their baptism at a local pool for free through a connection from one of their attenders. Christian said, “It was actually pretty cool how God provided. We had probably about 40 people join us, and we sang a few songs together, then did the baptism, and socialized a bit afterwards.”
We all smiled at the Lord’s timing for the baptisms at Heritage BFC in Kutztown, PA and Living Word Fellowship in Muhlenberg Township, PA. They both launched their worship gatherings in
March 2026 and their first baptisms took place within a week of each other!
More Summer Baptisms
Welsh Road Church in Horsham, PA also held a baptism with one woman from the church in the month of July. The woman gave a testimony of the life-transforming power of Jesus Christ: “I had a vague concept of God during my childhood but that quickly vanished during my years as an addict. There was a moment in 2000 when I got on my knees and prayed to God and joined a 12-step program. I got clean, went back to school and became a nurse. Decades went by and I got really low when my husband passed. But in God’s divine providence, he brought another man into my life. This new man and I quickly progressed in our
relationship and we got married in 2026 and he encouraged us to go to church. We attended Welsh Road Church and after listening to the sermon that day, I understood that I was a sinner in need of a Savior. That day I received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Since then, I have seen many ways in which God is working
in my life, guiding my steps, giving me the strength each day to walk with him, and helping me to love others with kindness and grace.”
Earlier in the year, CROSSroads BFC in Elverson, PA with Church Planter Tim Radcliff also baptized one young man. Although in each of these church plants only one person was baptized, each church planter hopes that seeing a baptism in their fellowship will encourage others to come to Jesus for salvation and step forward to be baptized themselves. We are all praying that God would work in the hearts of the people to this end!
Baptisms in France
Le Chemin Communauté Biblique Mission Church in Cannes, France with Church Planter Manuel Brambila also held a baptism this summer on June 28. Two men were baptized in the church’s baptistry –the Mediterranean Sea! James is from Mauritius Island (near Madagascar) and has been attending Le Chemin Mission Church for three months. Akhil is from India and has been attending Le Chemin Mission Church for
one year. Please pray for the continued discipleship of these men. Church Planter Manuel Brambila is
the newest Bible Fellowship Church church planter. He is ministering in Cannes, France and came to us through a connection with Church Planter Steve DelDuco and Pastor Josh Miller from
Grace BFC in Harrisburg. (If you missed this introduction, you can read it here.)
Cape Community Church
A former church plant also held a baptism this summer. Pastor Brad Boyer from Cape Community Church in Cape May Courthouse, NJ baptized four people in the Atlantic Ocean right where the waves break upon the shore. The people of the church watched while they stood on the sand and cheered! Cape Community Church graduated from Church Extension Ministries as a Particular Church in April 2023. It had been a long journey for this church plant to graduate. It’s a joy to see the church experiencing continued growth in the Lord!
More Baptisms to Come
At the end of August, Living Hope BFC in Mechanicsburg, PA across the Susquehanna River from Harrisburg has two or three baptism candidates with an additional two or three at the end of October. Watch on Living Hope BFC’s Facebook page or subscribe to the Antiochan Weekly Email Newsletter to see photos soon!
Seeing individuals publicly declare their faith is a beautiful reminder of why we plant churches. Every single baptism represents a life transformed by Jesus Christ, a family impacted, and a community changed forever. Praise the Lord!