Washington Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

By Katie Henderson, Washington Conference communication intern

The family of God is a little bigger this Thanksgiving after 10 people were baptized at Tacoma Central Seventh-day Adventist Church. Their incredible stories were years in the making, and God knew the right timing for the right connections.

Sampson Fernandez Jr. first thought about baptism when his wife was baptized two years ago. Having just returned from deployed to Japan with the U.S. Army, Sampson decided to attend the Inheritance Restored seminar with Rico Hill at Tacoma Central Seventh-day Adventist Church. When a call for baptism was offered, Sampson knew it was finally his time to join God's family.

Similarly, James Worobe had also felt God's calling. Worobe always felt like he'd been a part of the church for 34 years.

"I have always felt like I've been a part of the church since 1984!" says Worobe. "I came to a point in my life that I truly felt like God was calling me to be baptized. Something clicked and I felt like there was more I needed to do; to commit myself to Him and be reborn once more."

Juanita Martin had also been coming to the Tacoma Central Church for nearly two years. She first came to the church for the Fun Day Monday, a senior program for fun at the church. Since then, Martin has been attending health seminars for the past two years.

"When I came in one day, I was planning to meet one of my friends who was running late to the meeting, so I sat in the back waiting," says Martin. "A church member came up to me and asked me why I was sat all the way in the back! I explained that I was waiting but she smiled brightly and invited me to sit in the front with her."

"If it wasn't for such an accepting and friendly congregation like this," says Scott Tyman, pastor at Tacoma Central SDA Church, "Juanita probably wouldn't be here."

Steve Boothe and his family had been putting off God's call for several years before Revelation Speaks Peace came so close to home that they could no longer say no. During the evangelism series in Puyallup with Shawn Boonstra, the Boothe's developed strong relationships with those that were at the series and continued to attend and be active with the church the last two years.

"I believe my family has been ready for this day for a while," says Steve Boothe. "We had been waiting for the right time, but what better time is there than now?!"

During the day of baptism, the family of seven crowded into the baptismal pool, and as each one became baptized, the smiles grew on both the faces of the Boothe family and the congregation!

When Sierra Boothe was asked how she felt that day, she replied, “People use the saying, ‘I’ve been better,’ but today is probably the best I’ll ever be."