Baptism by Fire Hose

Nearly 800 people clothed in white were baptized in the street in front of the United House of Prayer for All People (Wikipedia) in Washington, DC—with a fire hose. The tradition is over 80 years old.

“We used to use the Potomac River,” he said, but the church’s founder, Charles “Sweet Daddy” Grace, decided to use a fire hose instead, “because a baptism involves sprinkling,” Whitner noted.

The church does have a baptismal, but sprinkling by fire hose is their preferred method of baptism, especially in the hot summer months.

The United House of Prayer has an usual view of baptism, allowing individuals to be baptized numerous times “as a way for members to periodically wash away their sins and heal physical ailments.” Many of these 800 participate in this mass baptism every year.

Damisha Matthews, 33, a federal budget analyst, said she comes every year, “for the redemption of my sins,” and brings her two daughters, Mia, 5, and Aliya, 4. She also brings an empty jug to be filled with consecrated water that she and family members will drink and rub on their bodies to help them heal when they are ill.

. . .

“If you have sinned since last year, you need to get into the water and be baptized,” boomed Apostle H. Thompson, next to Madison. “If you have a sickness and need to be healed, you need to get into the water and be baptized.”

“You heard the preacher,” Madison told the crowd. “If you want to go to heaven, let the waters roll.”

Wow! I have some concerns with the fire-hose method, but I have some major issues with their theology of baptism. This is unbiblical nonsense.

Read the whole story at the Washington Post: For Crowd of Believers, A Baptism by Fire Hose: Hundreds Drenched in Water and Emotion.

See also the pictures of the event.

HT: Gene Veith

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