OPEN WATER baptism

On a shimmering summer morning, figures clad in flowing white gathered on the St. Simons shoreline. The Rev. Gregory Hughes stood at the helm.

One by one, the members of the crowd approached.

Following in the footsteps of generations of the faithful, each was submerged in the waters of the Atlantic. They surfaced renewed, fresh in spirit, and their commitment to Christ. The sacrament is a foundational tenet of Christianity, dating back to John the Baptist, who immersed his followers in the waters of the Jordan.

Like his spiritual forbearers, Hughes felt called to the sea. The pastor of True Life Ministries in Atlanta first made the trip to the coast nearly three decades ago.

“I was at home one day and I wanted to go fishing someplace. Somebody mentioned Brunswick and I’d never been before ... I needed some time away, so two of my friends and I decided to drive down,” he recalls.

After driving around the area, the trio was directed to St. Simons Island. That’s where, Hughes says, the Lord spoke to him.

“I remember stepping out on the pier, and when I got toward the end, I heard the voice of God. He said, ‘you’re in the right place ... baptize people here,’” he says.

Hughes heeded the call, even though his church was a relatively young one. They made plans for an annual pilgrimage to the coast. The first year was small but it’s continued to grow every season since.

“I think the first time was about 30 of us, but after that, it’s been over 100 or even 200plus,” he says.

For the first five years, the baptism service was for members of Hughes’ congregation.