News Type: 
Chaplain's Blog Date: 
Friday, November 5, 2021

Good afternoon FUMA family. We’ve had a great week here on campus! There are few things more exciting than being able to celebrate a person’s decision to follow Jesus. We were blessed by being able to baptize 13 cadets who made that decision earlier this week.

We held a special Corps-wide service on Wed evening to celebrate this important occasion. Our president, Colonel Coggins opened the service with a great explanation of the meaning of baptism for Baptists. In our tradition, baptism is very important, however, it does not save you. We are saved because of our faith in Jesus Christ. It is because of the work He did by dying on the cross for our sins. You must confess your sins, believing that Jesus is the Son of God, and receiving the forgiveness of the cross.

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”

Romans 10:9-10

Baptism is the outward symbol of our inward faith. It’s the way we declare to the world that Jesus saved us and we will now follow him wherever he calls us. It is a public way to identify with the death of Jesus as we are submerged and the resurrection as we are raised to new life in Christ Jesus.

After Col. Coggins spoke, Maj. Gary Leydig and I were honored to baptize these 13 young men. Cadet Chaplain Elonzo Burroughs prayed for each candidate as he entered the water. Each professed his faith in Jesus and commitment to a lifetime of discipleship and was raised into new life.

Thank you for your prayers. Keep them coming! God is doing great things here at Fork Union Military Academy. You can watch the full service here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRaIwraC1EI&t=1445s

In Christ,

Chaplain Jamison