Hundreds gather on Hastings Beach for baptisms

To begin with, the four excited volunteers were introduced to the community and spoke courageously about their past experiences, the lives they had lived up until now and what had brought them to this special moment. Across the four testimonies, common themes included past suffering, their struggles, the persecution they had faced and the many different forms that a Christian journey can take. Throughout all of the heartfelt speeches, a palpable sense of relief, joy and freedom could be felt, spreading off the stage and into the hearts of the entire congregation.

Later, the hundreds of inhabitants of HTH strolled out of the building en masse, striking quite the sight, and found their way onto Hastings Beach near Source Park for an event like no other; catching the eye of curious bystanders and passers-by as they did.

Crowded along the sand, witnesses cheered as each participant was dunked into the rolling waves, before arising a baptised Christian. Following this, they surrounded the group, praying for them and welcoming their fellow Christians into a new stage of their life with Christ. Even the sudden hail shower couldn’t put a dampener on the festivities!

Who gets baptised?:

• Christians ready to announce Jesus as their Lord and Saviour
• People of any age, including children (parents make the promise on behalf of their children)
• Citizens from any country

Simon Larkin, HTH Church leader, explained the importance of hosting these baptisms on the beach. According to him: “Baptism is about a new start, putting your faith in Jesus, and saying ‘yes’ to everything he has for you. The Bible says that we can be ‘clothed’ with Christ. We don’t have to work out our own identity – we become children of God, and baptism is a mark of that.

“Often people got baptised in rivers in the times of Jesus (Jesus was baptised in the river Jordan), but most churches do not have expanses of water near them, so they ended up having baptisms in the church, using a pool or small amount of water. We have the sea though, just 100 metres from the church. The idea of baptism is that you have a new life, a new beginning, and being immersed in the water is being totally washed clean and being born again – a spiritual birth with Jesus now at the centre of your life!”.

Curious? Well, the good news is this won’t be the last beach baptism you can witness in Hastings. Keep an eye on the HTH website for more information on when the next event will take place, as well as other upcoming events.

For those looking for some lighter summer fun, lunchtime concerts by local musicians are once again being held at HTH between June and August. Upcoming artists include Harmony One, Andy Gill and Nigel Howard, John Bruzon and the Sussex Concert Orchestra. Admission is free, with refreshments being sold at the venue for those interested. Find the full programme here.

In the meantime, if you have any questions about beach baptisms or would like to know more, you can email [email protected].