Joshua McKenzie knew he needed to do something. In recent weeks, several Purdue athletes had expressed a desire to be baptized — decisions that grew naturally out of their ongoing study through the Gospel of Matthew.

McKenzie, who has served with Purdue’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) chapter since January, fielded numerous inquiries after a recent lesson on Jesus’ baptism.

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“A couple weeks ago, we were looking at the baptism of Jesus and there were some questions around what does baptism look like in your own life,” McKenzie told Sports Spectrum. “One athlete said they were interested in getting baptized, and honestly, that just kind of spurred in me that we should just give an invitation for any of our athletes to get baptized.”

Following that conversation, McKenzie extended the opportunity to any athlete who wanted to take that next step of faith. Before long, 13 athletes from multiple sports responded — including five football players, several cheerleaders and a track athlete.

Thus, Baptism Night was scheduled for Oct. 22. McKenzie — who also leads football chapels for the Boilermakers — and the FCA leaders took time to talk with each athlete about what baptism means and what it symbolizes: a public declaration of faith and a step of obedience in following Christ.

 

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Several athletes, including football players Demeco Kennedy and CJ Madden, prepared a written testimony to share with those in attendance before being baptized.

Kennedy described himself as a “lukewarm believer” who hadn’t been to church since he was an infant. He heard about God growing up but didn’t truly know Him. When he got to college, he knew he needed to get right with God. Marty Dittmar, who has served as the Purdue athletic department’s chaplain since 1997 (and joined FCA’s staff in 2011), mentored him and connected him with McKenzie.

“Since giving my life to Christ, it definitely hasn’t been easy,” Kennedy wrote. “However, God’s love has shown me that this is the way I want to live my life, glorifying Him in all I do. Christ changed me in so many ways and made me such a better person. I truly am blessed and highly favored and couldn’t have made a better decision.”

Madden said he’s known about Jesus “ever since I could remember.” But his understanding of faith was flawed and he thought being a “good person” was enough. When he got to college, he felt empty and could tell that what he was chasing was going to leave him unsatisfied.

“As I started to get back to my Christian roots, I started to ask questions,” he said. “The enemy depicted an image of Jesus Christ to me that was inaccurate, so I looked into other religions like Islam. After studying and even practicing Islam, my soul did not feel fulfilled. When I came to Purdue, I met a young lady who was deep in her faith. She redirected me on a path that led me towards living fully for Christ. She is now my girlfriend and I know from the bottom of my heart God used her to draw me closer to Him.

“Today, I publicly declare my faith in Jesus. This is the best decision I’ve ever made in my life.”

 

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Purdue FCA has held baptism events in the past, but McKenzie said this one stood out because of how organically it materialized.

Attendance at Purdue’s FCA huddles has grown significantly this year, averaging around 80 athletes each week — more than double last year’s average of 35. McKenzie said he’s already seeing ripple effects from that October night.

“It’s really cool to see the fruit already and the interest from other athletes,” McKenzie said.

And Purdue isn’t alone. Across college athletics, many are seeing what feels like a revival taking shape. In the past year, campuses such as Ohio State, Western Kentucky (and Conference USA), Pitt, Vanderbilt and Alabama have seen dozens of athletes publicly profess faith through baptism or worship gatherings.

McKenzie believes something is stirring in this generation. And because of social media, word can spread quickly about what’s happening elsewhere around the country.

“Now, in real time, we’re seeing what God’s doing on campus,” he said. “Could He have been doing this years ago? Quite possibly. But I do think the culture has changed. That’s very evident. These students on campus, if they’re professing Christ, that’s more unique than previously was before, especially in the Midwest and the South where seemingly everyone was a Christian. Now, it’s not a given.

“Those who are professing Christ are maybe more faithfully following Christ. There’s just more of a dividing line where you’re either in or you’re out. I don’t see as many college students on the fence.”

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