More about the timing, context and connection of the event with the university Room standards below. Also read comments from athletes and participants involved.
Between 800 and 1,000 people gathered to watch Ohio State University football players help perform a Christian baptism ceremony outside Curl Market on Sunday; by the end of the evening, at least 60 participants had been baptized.
Veteran running back TreVeyon Henderson, veteran defensive end JT Tuimoloau, veteran wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, former Buckeyes wide receiver Kamryn Babb and other Ohio State football players helped lead the ceremony, which was co-hosted by several Columbus-based Christian churches and organizations.
Baptism is a Christian sacrament of initiation that signifies entry into the religion, according to ActiveChristianity.orgThe rite – which symbolizes new life – makes it possible to publicly confess the Christian faith and lifestyle, website conditions.
Schedule for Sunday
Two officers from the Ohio State University Police Department – also known as OSUPD – were present at the start of the event around 7 p.m., but remained on the outer edge of the crowd of about 200 people.
Four tub-sized buckets of water were placed next to a stage where football players stood to give their testimony. Over the next nearly two hours, the crowd grew to over 800 people.
Some of the players present gave oral testimony of their personal connection to Christianity, Babb was one of them.
Accordingly previous lantern reportingBabb suffered four ACL injuries while at Ohio State. Babb said that during an Uber ride to John Glenn Columbus International Airport, his driver – a man named Darnell – offered to pray for him; in that moment, Babb said, he felt “the weight, the love, the grace, the mercy of God enveloping him. [him] like a blanket.”
“I just did my thing because it was fun, and I'll tell you: I was on High Street and I was having fun,” Babb said. “I was having fun. But at the same time, I didn't recognize my condition. I was spiritually dead. I was spiritually dead. I could walk out there and smile and laugh. I could go back to the [Woody Hayes Athletic Center]and smile and laugh. But inside I was broken. I was broken.”
At around 8:50 p.m., about 50 participants joined the players on stage and began to pray together. A few minutes later, the baptisms began, with the participants being immersed in buckets of water to complete the baptismal ritual.
After the baptism, event coordinators led each participant to the nearby Nosker House, gave them a Bible, and led them in a reading from the Scriptures.
University spokesman Ben Johnson said the space was reserved in advance and the reservation ends at 9:45 p.m.
“The Revive Student Organization reserved space for the event, which just concluded,” Johnson said around 9:09 p.m. “Public safety was on site, as is common at large gatherings. It was not an official football team event.”
By 9:30 p.m., about 50 people had been baptized.
At approximately 9:54 p.m., four OSUPD officers on bicycles arrived outside Nosker House and spoke with Babb. Officers instructed him to ask attendees to disperse on behalf of the Office of Student Life and that the group's event permit would expire at 10 p.m. Event coordinators then displayed a QR code on the on-stage television and asked attendees to scan it to stay updated on similar future events.
The University Room standards State restrictions on the time, place and type of activities on campus may be imposed to ensure that “the mission of the university, administrative functions or activities of campus life” are not disrupted. Specifically, the rules state that noise is prohibited before noon and after 10 p.m. on Sundays.
At 10:05 p.m., the baptisms were still in progress. By 10:13 p.m., around 60 people had already been baptized and a group of seven to eight police officers had gathered nearby, but did not directly interfere with the participants' activities.
At 10:24 p.m., event coordinators began clearing the stage and buckets while attendees mostly left the area.
Event context
Grayce Banks – a sophomore psychology major and member of Cru at Ohio State, a Christian community on campus – said some of the churches and organizations in attendance were Cru at Ohio State, 614 Church, 614college, Revive the College Church, The Capital Church, Young Life College at OSU And Ohio State Chi Alpha. The Ohio State football players mentioned above played an important role in coordinating the public event, Banks said.
“It's their senior year, so TreVeyon Henderson and Emeka Egbuka said, 'You know what, we want to speak in faith. We want to see what we can do to make a difference on campus, to start a revival,'” Banks said. “And so they came together and then brought a number of college ministries and churches that they were part of that are connected to campus and wanted to come together and really organize a huge gathering where people could hear about the Lord and the love that He has for everybody.”
Banks said organizers expected 100 baptisms at the event, and said the football players' involvement is intended to spark curiosity about the Christian faith on Ohio State University's campus and beyond.
“You know, these football players are role models for so many people,” Banks said. “And then when they speak in faith, they say, 'I know these people, I see them on TV and I think what an impact they have on my life. Who is impacting their life?' And to them, that's God, and that's Jesus, and that's the gospel.”
Comments from athletes and participants
Tuimoloau said the idea of a public demonstration of Christian faith on campus came to him and his teammates after this year's fall camp.
“It's one of those visions that the guys had and I was lucky enough to be part of it,” said Tuimoloau. “Just to make people realize that we are more than football players and that there is more to our team. [lives] than making a sack, scoring a touchdown or making a great catch – just understanding that's what it's all about.”
Tuimoloau said Sunday's meeting will be one of his fondest memories of Ohio State University.
“I don’t think my achievements in this area are comparable to what is happening now,” Tuimoloau said.
Henderson agreed.
“Whatever I've done, man, this right here – what God is doing – is so much more important and so much bigger.”
Egbuka also said he considered this meeting and the large turnout a great success.
“We've been praying for years for an event like this, and we've been praying with anticipation – we serve a God who works miracles,” Egbuka said. “When it came out, we definitely had an expectation, but God has always done more than we thought. We're just so blessed and thankful.”
Regarding the non-Christian participants, Egbuka said he was grateful that they were there.
“We just hoped that tonight [they] would come with an open mind and a tender heart and just be able to receive the truth of the gospel and what Jesus thinks about [them] and that he loves [them]”, said Egbuka. “And if that is all they took away today, then the mission was successful because we only want to tell the world the truth.”
Senior softball infielder Kami Kortokrax was in attendance at the event and said that as a college athlete herself, she found it inspiring to see other athletes using their platforms in this way.
“It's just a deeper level,” Kortokrax said. “Everyone knows them as great football players, but it's much more important for all of them now to be known as great Christians.”
Kortokrax said she was grateful to be a part of this gathering and believes it will help the campus community understand the importance of faith.
“You can't just walk by, you have to notice,” Kortokrax said. “People are getting baptized, they've been prayed for, they want to change their lives and live for God and be saved in Him – all of that is a direct result of what happened tonight.”
