Man drowns during baptism in Britain. Pastor to face trial

A pastor in the UK has been charged with manslaughter after she performed a baptism ceremony for a man during which he died.

This is reported by the BBC and The Guardian.

Robert Smith, 61, was originally from Jamaica but had lived in the UK for more than 25 years. He worked as a hairdresser and was a grandfather to seven grandchildren. He had Parkinsonʼs disease.

The man attended Life Changing Ministries Church for the last four years of his life. And in the fall of 2023, he decided to be baptized a second time to become a "born-again believer".

The baptism ceremony took place in the backyard of the house, in a small paddling pool. Robert was baptized by 48-year-old pastor Cheryl Bartley.

The ceremony was broadcast online on the churchʼs Facebook page, with about a dozen people watching. At some point, the broadcast was stopped, and the video was later deleted.

Medics were called to the house, but they were unable to save Robert. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause was listed as drowning.

The pastors have been charged with manslaughter by gross negligence. She is due to appear in court in Birmingham in May.

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