‘Heartbreaking’—Pastor Addresses Response to Clip of Baptism He Stopped After Man’s Shocking ‘Jesus’ Claim

A clip of a man who said, “I am Jesus Christ,” right before a pastor was about to baptize him is generating some discussion online. Pastor David Whitmore, who stopped the baptism after hearing the man’s shocking claim, told ChurchLeaders he hopes the video will help pastors “be prepared in season and out of season.” Whitmore also expressed dismay at the behavior he has observed from Christians online.

“I’ve been thinking about this and praying about this for the last few days,” said Whitmore in a phone call on Jan. 29, referring to the disunity among Christians he perceives in online posts.

“That’s probably the biggest thing that weighs on me,” he said, “is, how many times do we scroll on Instagram, Facebook reels, whatever…and all of a sudden, our judgmental flesh comes in and we start thinking derogatory of a situation without knowing the context?”

The pastor shared that he does not care what people think of how he handled the baptism, which occurred one-and-a-half to two years ago, but said he finds it “heartbreaking” that people would post their opinions without even trying to understand the situation. 

‘I Am Jesus Christ,’ Says Man About To Be Baptized

A video clip posted by polemical news site Protestia shows Whitmore preparing to baptize a man during a church service. Whitmore is the pastor of Catalyst Church in Evansville, Indiana. Contrary to what some who saw the video assumed, Whitmore had known the man, whom he described as a “unique individual,” for a while prior to the baptism. 

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The man had been exploring faith and eventually approached Whitmore, telling the pastor that he was ready to be baptized. The pastor went through the gospel with him, as he does with everyone who wants to be baptized, and the man gave accurate answers about the identity of Jesus.

When it came time for the actual baptism, as Whitmore prepared to baptize the man, the pastor asked him, “Have you placed your faith and trust in Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior?” The man replied, “I am Jesus Christ.”

“What?” Whitmore said.

“I’m back, boys,” said the man. 

“Huh?” said the pastor, who then addressed the man by name and asked him again, “Have you placed your faith and trust in Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior?”

The man responded by denying that he was himself. At that point, Whitmore decided to stop the baptism because the man had some “theological things that he’s dealing with.”