Kyle Lake, pastor of University Baptist Church in Waco, TX, was electrocuted this morning as he baptized a new believer. Apparently he was grabbing a microphone while partially submerged. The young woman he was baptizing was not hurt. Lake (at left below) was taken by EMS to a local hospital and pronounced dead at 11:30. He was 33 years old and leaves behind a wife and three children. Around 800 people were in attendance at the church, a larger crowd than normal due to Homecoming festivities at nearby Baylor University. (UBC is known as one of the forerunners of the Emerging Church movement, and as the church where David Crowder, a popular worship leader, and his band rose to prominence and continue to lead worship many Sundays.)
What an awful tragedy. I cannot imagine what it must be like for a church to watch its pastor die like that in the middle of a joyous celebration – not to mention the fact that his wife and kids may well have seen it happen too. Pray for Lake’s family and church.