Religion News / The baptism of Brian Wilson
Immersed in his new faith, Lockport student is born again
WHEATFIELD—Brian Wilson may have the same name as one of the Beach Boys—and he was seen in the water last month — but this local Brian Wilson gets his “good vibrations” from his faith.
Wilson has seen his life turn around, thanks to God. And so, on a recent Sunday, he decided to “take the plunge,” and mark his return to church by full-immersion baptism.
“After reading through certain parts of the Bible, it became apparent to me that baptism is one way I can obey Christ,” said the 2007 Lockport High School graduate. “I believe baptism by immersion—not by sprinkling as a child — is the way it’s meant to be, because that’s the way that Christ did it.”
Wilson’s early county pioneer predecessors would get baptized in the bracing waters of Lake Ontario. His took place in a swimming pool in Wheatfield.
It seems as though the age-old sacrament by full immersion may getting another look, even in popular culture. For instance, “Seinfeld” co-creator Larry David included the topic in a recent HBO segment, titled “The Baptism.”
Wilson’s baptism had its lighter moments, as well as the more serious ceremonial side.
“It was a lot of fun, and I think everyone enjoyed being part of something a little out of the ordinary,” he said.
“My cousin Jodi was talking to her husband, Mike, and asked, ‘Do you think we should turn the heater on in the pool for Brian?’
“To which Mike replied, ‘Heck no, Jesus didn’t have a heated pool to be baptized in.’ ”
Wilson feels reborn these days.
In high school, he said, he felt “that I couldn’t have my own personal thoughts and be a religious person at the same time, so for a time I rejected church.”
And the young man started a downward spiral.
“My first year of college was pretty tough without God,” the University at Buffalo student said. “I was a straight ‘A’ student in high school and was 20th in my class. But by the end of my college freshman year, I had a ‘C’ average.”
Chrissy Drake — a friend he met while working at his job at Starbucks — invited him to a college group she attended called Vintage, held at the Chapel at Crosspoint in East Amherst, near the Niagara County border.
“I went a few times, and I thought it was kind of the same old thing,” Wilson said. “I would sing the songs and half-listen to the message.
“[Then] one night I went and the message really rang true for me. I was told that each and every day God thinks about me and longs for me to come back to Him and that in order to do that, all I had to do was accept Him and His message into my heart — get it out of my head and into my heart.”
Fireworks came early for Wilson after that night in early July 2008.
“Things started to make sense,” he said. “I started going back to my church and listening to the sermons, and it was crazy how every time [Pastor] Jerry [McGlone of the Church at Shawnee Landing] spoke, I was blown away by what he was saying about my life. For the first time, this Bible stuff really made sense.
“I got more involved with Vintage and with my church, and things turned around. . . . I couldn’t believe how much God affected my life every day. I prayed and asked Him to help me quit smoking, and I quit cold turkey after three years of almost a pack a day.”
“Everything that I needed — whether I realized it or not — God was right there for me,” Wilson said.
Being baptized outside in a cold, shallow pool connected him to how Jesus walked and lived, Wilson said.
“He was baptized in a river, not inside some church,” Wilson said, adding, “Overall, I’m really glad that I chose to do this baptism—an expression of my Christian faith — this way, and it’s an experience I’ll carry with me the rest of my life.”
Now 20, Wilson works as a Starbucks supervisor while studying to be a school counselor. He is pursuing two degrees, one in social sciences. And as a UB English major, he does read more than his Bible.
“I realized that I’m allowed to have my own thoughts and feelings,” he said, “and that God actually created me — to be me.”
Have an idea about for Religion News? Write to Louise Continelli, The Buffalo News, P. O. Box 100, Buffalo, NY 14240, or e-mail her at lcontinelli@buffnews.com
Log into MyBuffalo to post a comment
MyBuffalo is the new social network from Buffalo.com. Your MyBuffalo account lets you comment on and rate stories at buffalonews.com. You can also head over to mybuffalo.com to share your blog posts, stories, photos, and videos with the community. Join now or learn more.
Reader comments