Jesus Take The Wheel: British Pastor Drowns…
Source: Anna Zhynhel / Getty
What ought to have been a sacred, celebratory second instead turned into one thing nearly inconceivable to comprehend.
According to reporting by FOX8, a yard baptism in Birmingham, England, ended in tragedy when 61-year-old Robert Smith drowned during the holy rites of passage. Baptisms are widely understood as symbolic acts of renewal and religious rebirth, not moments that ought to carry life-or-death penalties. Unfortunately, this specific baptism was not of a Godly nature.
Smith, a grandfather of seven, who had been half of the church group for years, was being baptized in a kiddie pool set up in the yard of a personal residence. The ceremony, led by pastor Cheryl Bartley, was livestreamed on Facebook, which made the state of affairs that a lot more disturbing. At some level during the baptism, the live stream cut off, and it’s unclear what really occurred. However, by the time emergency responders arrived, Fox8 reviews that Smith was unconscious and pronounced lifeless at the scene.Â
The concept that a routine non secular observe might escalate so shortly into a deadly incident is troublesome to wrap your thoughts around. Even more confounding is that this was an organized ceremony, attended and broadcast, which suggests that there have been a number of alternatives where intervention or warning might need made a distinction.
The Crown Prosecution Service launched a public assertion concerning the incident:
“Our prosecutors have worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring this case to court and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings. We have worked closely with West Midlands Police as it has carried out its investigation,” they said.
Authorities have in the end charged Bartley with gross negligence manslaughter.
Pastor Bartley is predicted to seem in Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on May 14. We will continue to keep our eyes on this case to see what, if any, punishment she receives.
The post Jesus Take The Wheel: British Pastor Drowns 61-Year-Old Grandfather During Kiddie Pool Baptism appeared first on GWN.
