/ 18 August 2001

PASTOR DROWNS DURING BAPTISMS

POLICE in Botswana’s Thamaga Village are investigating an incident case in which a 40-year-old pastor of the Botswana Babirwa New Jerusalem Church drowned while baptising his followers. It is reported that the congregation had a night vigil the day before and the following morning went to a nearby river for a baptism ceremony. The pastor, whose name the police have not yet released, is said to have gone into the water first, then called the members of the congregation to come into the water one by one. Suddenly the pastor disappeared under the water together with the other two men. One man who was standing on the bank of the river jumped into water to rescue the three men. Two managed to climb out of the river, but the pastor did not surface. He was found dead a little while later. — The Botswana Gazette