YOUR BEST BEACH BUDDY

But in the years after, more and more have joined — locals to tourists to those who plan a trip specifically for the baptism.

“One year we had some GBI guys who were training on the beach. They were jogging and asked us if they could be baptized. They took off their gear and got baptized. We’ve had people just coming down the beach with their dog. They told their friend, ‘hold my dog, I’m going to get baptized,’” he says with a laugh.

“Every year, the Lord shows us something different. We’ve had a 98-year-old lady once. We had someone in a motorized wheelchair that weighed about 1,000 pounds. (Brunswick former Mayor) Cornell Harvey always comes, and he had some firefighters come to help carry it to the water.”

The open water baptism went on hiatus for nearly three years due to the Golden Ray shipwreck and the coronavirus pandemic. It returned in 2022 with much fanfare from the community.

“The community has truly been amazing and so welcoming to us,” he says. “We had so many calls during the pandemic asking us if we were going to be doing it, but we wanted to be safe.”

This year, the open water baptism is slated for 11 a.m. June 17 near the pier on St. Simons Island. The group will also host a number of events surrounding it at their base in Epworth by the Sea.

“We’re doing something special this year because it’s Father’s Day weekend. We’re hosting a prayer meeting which will be led by men. It’s open to everyone but it will be led by men of all different ethnicities and backgrounds. It’s important for men to be seen praying, showing that they’re not too macho or too busy to pray,” Hughes says.

They will host a similar event for women, also on Friday. The baptism will be held Saturday and they will end the weekend with a service on the beach on Sunday morning. Hughes says they’re eager to return to share their faith with the Isles.

“God is allowing us to share that he’s the God of everybody — regardless of race, gender, or economic status. He wants to be everybody’s God,” he says.