Officials at Northwood Temple Academy, a private Christian school in North Carolina, have come under fire from some parents after more than 100 middle and high school students were baptized at the school without the consent of their parents.
"My daughter calls me from the school and says, 'Mama, can you bring me some dry clothes? I got baptized today,'" one parent told The Fayetteville Observer. "I said, 'What?'"
The baptisms were conducted last Thursday at the end of an event known as Spiritual Emphasis Week, a tradition in which middle and high school students usually place additional focus on building their relationship with God.
On Thursday night, the academy shared what happened at the end of its most recent Spiritual Emphasis observance in a post on Facebook.
"We had over 100 middle and high school students spontaneously declare their faith and get baptized today," the post noted, sharing an image of a woman hugging a student.
The academy is part of Northwood Temple Pentecostal Holiness Church and provides "weekly chapel services for students in grades PreK-12," according to the school's student handbook.
"Through the chapel services students praise and worship the Lord. Students and faculty minister to one another through prayer, music and Bible messages. During chapel services students are also recognized for various achievements. Parents are encouraged and welcome to attend chapel," reads the handbook.
The 70-page handbook does not mention anything about baptism.
One parent complained to The Observer that they missed not being allowed to witness their child's baptism, while another parent said the school's baptism felt like it "undid the baptism that had already taken place at their church."
"This is what I think they should have done," an unidentified parent said. "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."
Northwood Head of School Renee McLamb told The Christian Post on Monday that the school did not plan on baptizing so many students and said they were responding to what they saw as a "move of God."
“Although this is NOT our norm — we have never before baptized without the permission of the parent — and even letting the parent chose who is to baptize their child — many in the past have invited their church Pastor or a grandparent who may be a minister. It is always our desire to partner with the parent in the spiritual development of their child/children,” she said. “None of the faculty were expecting what happened to happen. The Lord moved and students were moved to respond on that Thursday morning.”- Christian Post
No comments:
Write comments