Bethany, Okla. - At Southwestern Christian University in Bethany, Oklahoma, one chapel service this semester turned into something no one expected. What started as a normal morning with ten students signed up to be baptized ended with thirty people stepping into the water to declare their faith. It was one of those moments you could feel in the room—the kind that starts small but grows into something bigger than anyone planned.
Chapel is a huge part of life at SCU. Students gather twice a week, on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, to worship together, pray, and hear messages from pastors around the Oklahoma City area. Every service is live-streamed so family, alumni, and friends can watch, but there’s something special about being there in person. You can see students lifting their hands in worship, laughing together, and sometimes crying as the message hits home.
Joshua Young, SCU’s Vice President for Student Development, helps organize chapel and brings in speakers who connect with students on a real level. Recently, pastors like Kenny Love(SCU Grad) and Matthew Vonwald have shared messages that focus on taking bold steps of faith. In one chapel, Love said, “This campus is a place of movement—when one person steps out in faith, others begin to wonder if God might be asking them too.” That idea came to life during the baptism service.
When the worship team started to play and the first few students entered the baptism tank, something changed in the atmosphere. One by one, more students came forward—some with tears, others smiling through nerves. “When you step into these waters,” the pastor told them, “you’re not just saying yes to a decision—you’re declaring new life.” The service, which was supposed to end after ten baptisms, stretched on as twenty more students joined in. Friends cheered, sang, and clapped for every person who took that step.
Afterward, SCU posted a simple but powerful message on Facebook: “10 ready. How it’s going: 30 baptized. Heaven is celebrating every life made new.” It summed up the joy of that day perfectly.
Moments like this are what chapel at SCU is all about—authentic encounters that lead to lasting change. It’s not just about earning chapel credit or filling a seat. It’s about community, worship, and giving students space to experience God in real ways. And that’s exactly what happened on that unforgettable day when thirty students made a public commitment of faith, proving once again that when people step forward, others often find the courage to follow.