01 And I am Born Again!

I could not believe that this was happening to me! I was standing in the church vestry, hearing the rising notes of the church organ played by the elderly American missionary, Mrs McHenry. I could see the dark, shining face of Pastor Ebenezer giving me an encouraging look, as he gingerly stepped into the water-filled baptismal tank. The music rose to a crescendo. I became increasingly more nervous and self-conscious as I was terrified of water; and at the thought of being immersed in the baptismal tank. I wished I had learnt how to swim earlier.

The music stopped. Pastor Ebenezer, now waist deep in water, held out his hand and gripped mine, as I descended into the tank in a daze. I looked nervously at the congregation. I soon felt the Pastor place a little white towel over my mouth. I was briefly pulled under water but in no time I found myself pulled out again. The organ started up again, and in that surreal moment I realised that I had just been baptized as a Seventh-day Adventist Christian, and admitted into the fellowship of the Bombay English Church.

The year was 1971 and I was just 20 years old.

Standing there in the baptismal tank, I experienced my Spiritual rebirth, what is termed in Christian Theology as being “born again”. I cannot but look back with amazement and analyze how all this came to pass. And this is part of the story which I will now tell.