Published May 03, 2016
The pastor of a Georgia church involved in a mass baptism before a high school football practice said Thursday the school had nothing to do with the ritual, except that it took place on a school football field.
The Rev. Kevin Williams, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Villa Rica, said the baptism of 18 students and a coach was voluntary.
The Aug. 17 baptisms drew criticism from a religious-freedom group after the church posted on the Internet video of the players being dunked into a small tub of water.
The Wisconsin-based Freedom from Religion Foundation sent a letter to Carroll County school officials Tuesday asking the district to investigate.
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Information from: WXIA-TV, http://www.11alive.com/
https://www.foxnews.com/us/pastor-no-one-coerced-into-mass-baptism-on-football-field-involving-18-students-and-a-coach