WATCH — ‘A Great Start to 2025!’: Oregon Pastor Baptizes Smiling Church Member in 42-Degree Water

A church member braved icy waters at Oregon’s Lake Billy Chinook on Wednesday so people could witness his spiritual renewal.

The Metolius Friends Community Church member was clearly excited to be baptized in the frigid chest-deep waters, Central Oregon Daily News reported.

Following the touching moment, the church’s men’s group took a polar plunge in the water to celebrate New Year’s Day and later enjoyed a warm breakfast together.

“It was a great start to the new year for our guys, getting out, having fun, leaving the old behind and pushing on to what’s new and next in 2025,” Pastor Jadon Ross explained.

Video footage shows the church member readying himself for his baptism. “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, I baptize you,” Ross said as he helped the man go under the water. Cheers and applause were heard when the church member emerged from the water, smiling.

According to Central Oregon Daily News, the water was 42 degrees.

In a social media post on Wednesday, the church shared photos of the men at the event along with a video of one of them jumping into the cold lake.

“A great start to 2025!” the post read:

When a person is baptized, the act reflects “the profound spiritual truths of the gospel,” according to Christianity.com.

“When we enter the waters of baptism, we are publicly declaring the message of salvation: that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again to bring us new life. This act is a powerful symbol of our identification with Him,” the site read.

The church said its mission is “to see people transformed into fully mature followers of Jesus, and to impact our community with hope by living, loving, and serving like Christ.”

To read more articles about mass baptisms and revivals happening all over the nation, click here.