North Carolina school shocks parents by baptizing more than 100 students without permission
FAYETTEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA: A school reportedly baptized more than 100 students without the knowledge of their parents on Friday, September 23. The Northwood Temple Academy baptized the children, according to the Fayetteville Observer.
This move has made the parents upset. While speaking to the Observer, one mother said, "My daughter calls me from the school and says, 'Mama, can you bring me some dry clothes? I got baptized today,'" adding, "I said, 'WHAT?'"
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The parent told the Fayetteville Observer that she learned about it through her 11-year-old daughter while she was at work on a conference call. As per the Observer, Northwood Principal Renee McLamb said that some students were actually scheduled to be baptized. However, the rest of the students felt moved to join in on the ceremony, Renee said and added that the event was not supposed to be a secret to the parents either.
In an email to the outlet, she said, "Truly, the Lord began to move this morning and we were so excited about what the Lord was doing. Several students had given their lives to the Lord during Spiritual Emphasis Week and they were scheduled to be baptized this morning," adding, "But the Spirit of the Lord moved and the invitation to accept the Lord and be baptized was given and the students just began to respond to the presence of the Lord."
Multiple parents complained to McLamb.
The principal said, "In hindsight, we would do it differently and give the students an opportunity to contact their parents and ask permission to be baptized."
She added, "We were not expecting such an overwhelming response to the message that was spoken, but as a mother, I certainly can empathize with why some parents were upset."
This move made some parents unhappy, as they couldn't be a part of their child's baptism. The religious ceremony is celebrated with a family gathering who witnesses the event.
Another parent said the school's baptism felt like it "undid the baptism that had already taken place at their church."
The parent of the 11-year-old told the Observer, "This is what I think they should have done. They should have corralled the kids in the back of the church, another room — somewhere — and said, 'We understand your desire to get this done. We'd love for your families to be here and present with you", adding, "or invitations even."
In a separate incident, the dying wish of an octagenarian became a reality, thanks to an assisted living facility in South Carolina in 2019.
Jenis James Grindstaff, a Navy veteran, was an at-home hospice patient who had been battling cancer for some time. His family revealed that his dying wish was to be baptized and though they were surprised, they made sure that it came true.
On December 11, Spartanburg Regional was able to transport Grindstaff to the assisted living facility via the hospice special needs fund where he was baptized. The patient passed away in 2020.