VINTON, Va. — As Brittany Riddle stood in the baptismal waters at Broadway Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky., on Dec. 30, she told the congregation that the last time she was in that baptistery was at 12 years of age and being baptized, before she had any idea that God was calling her to ministry.
Now she was standing alongside her father, Mark Riddle, who had recently professed faith in Christ and had asked her to baptize him. The moment had added significance — her father would be her first baptism.
Brittany Riddle prepares to baptize her father, Mark, in the baptistery of Broadway Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky.
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“We had talked about faith and God over the years, through the ups and downs of life, but I had no idea that my first baptism would be my dad,” said Riddle, minister to adults at Vinton (Va.) Baptist Church. She refers to performing this act of faith in front of the congregation that had raised and nurtured her as a child — along with baptizing her father — as a “holy moment.”
“I began to sense a call to ministry as I graduated high school and began college,” she said. At Furman University in Greenville, S.C., she was involved in a program through the chaplain’s office called “Exploration of Vocation and Ministry.” It was through internships and ministry opportunities in this program that her call to ministry took shape.
“Every opportunity to lead worship or teach Bible studies led to other opportunities, and with each step I took I became surer that I was following God’s calling in my life,” said Riddle.
After graduation she continued to explore her calling at Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond. At BTSR, Riddle said students are prepared for that “first” baptism. “As part of our internship class, we go to a local church and practice baptizing each other,” she said. “There is an art to leaning people into the water and lifting them back up so as not to drop them — especially when you are only 5’3” like me.”
“I think this is one of the students’ favorite internship classes, not only because it’s not too often that you get to spend time in the water for a class assignment, but also because it is a reminder of the holy moments that are ahead of you in ministry.”
An affirming church
While growing up, she was at Broadway Baptist Church “every time the doors were open,” Riddle said. “My best friends and mentors were at church and I was fortunate to be in a church that was affirming of women in ministry and that celebrated the gifts of everyone.”
While she was not present when her father made his profession of faith, Riddle said they had talked about it over the phone and he had asked if she would come to Louisville to baptize him.
“God had blessed my life in so many ways. It was time for me to affirm and acknowledge the truth of God’s love in my life,” said Mark. He had been a faithful attender of Broadway Baptist Church for more than 30 years and said his decision to be baptized was largely due to the three strong Baptist women in his life — his wife and two daughters.
Both father and daughter refer to the baptism as a “full circle moment.”
“It was an experience that I will never forget — standing there in the water doing what I was called to do alongside my dad and the congregation that raised me,” said Brittany.
Barbara Francis (bfrancis@religiousherald.org) is on the staff of the Religious Herald.