Team devotional leads 37 Faulkner University athletes to baptism

Less than a week after arriving on campus for the fall semester, 37 young athletes from the Faulkner University Eagles football team were baptized following a team devotional Monday night.

It was early evidence of the spiritual awakening that Faulkner President Mitch Henry said he’s prayed for at the Montgomery, Ala., university — but that coaches and faculty had an active hand in, too.

The slew of welcome activities for the student athletes and band members on campus since Aug. 1 put faith at the forefront.

Faulkner’s new spiritual life minister, Colt Mahana, spoke to the students at a Sunday night barbecue at the football stadium, and associate head football coach Randy Ragsdale later led his team in a Monday night devotional.

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At the devo, volunteer coach Brandon Johnson shared his story of being baptized as a Faulkner football player by Nathan Capps, college minister for Landmark Church.

Afterward, 37 of the players told assistant coach Khalil Pope they wanted to put on Christ.

Pope called Henry, who helped get the University Church of Christ next door to Faulkner to open up its baptistery.

“I jumped in my truck, and on the way to campus, I called every church minister I could think of to help us,” Henry said.

Ministers from the nearby Dalriada, Vaughn Park, Southside, Eastern Meadows, Landmark and Hunter Hills Churches of Christ, along with Faulkner coaches and other faculty and staff members spoke privately to each of the players and prayed with them before they were baptized by Johnson and Pope.

It was the largest baptism event in recent history for Faulkner.

“This is indeed a spiritual awakening, and the year has only just begun,” Henry said.

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