(Exclusive) Pastor Reveals Details Behind Viral ‘I Am Jesus’ Baptism Video: ‘I was taken very off guard’
Last week we posted a video about a service at Catalyst Church in Evansville, Indiana, where pastor David Whitmore was performing a baptism. The man readying to go under the water shocked everyone when he suddenly claimed to be Jesus Christ while standing in the baptismal tank, saying, “I’m back, boys.”
A confused Whitmore paused and asked him, “Have you placed your faith and trust in Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior?” to which the young man reiterated his claims of deity, resulting in Whitmore concluding the baptism until they might have further discussion.
The video garnered millions of views, with many speculating on the baptism’s circumstances. Some pointed to it as one of the risks of spontaneous baptisms- you never know what people will say- while others framed it as a cautionary tale for failing to vet baptismal candidates properly.
"What?"
— Protestia (@Protestia) January 24, 2025
Seconds before being baptized, a young man claims to BE Jesus Christ in the flesh, prompting a very confused pastor to quickly reorient himself and wisely cancel proceedings. pic.twitter.com/8S7icqitgd
We praised Whitmore for his poise under pressure while cautioning folks not to jump to conclusions, saying: “We don’t know how or why this came about, so don’t be kneecapping this pastor, as there are legit reasons why this may have been beyond his control.”
And now we know.
In comments made exclusively to Protestia, Pastor Whitmore shared that he knew the man in question for a little while before the incident, and that:
“After ups and downs, lefts and rights, he finally came to me wanting to get baptized. He went through our pre-baptism process in which he answered every question as any sincere believer would.
I believed that he had a true understanding of the gospel, so I was taken very off guard when he got into the baptismal and said what he said.”
Following the service, which they continued with ease thanks to Whitemore’s deft and biblical handling of the encounter, the church’s associate pastor spent the remainder of the service counseling the man who persisted with his claims of being Jesus Christ. Eventually, the associate pastor gave him a ride home.
Whitmore notes that what they didn’t know at the time was that the man had been battling schizophrenia and wasn’t always on his medication.
Shortly after the incident, the individual claiming to be Jesus Christ inadvertently killed a man and was sentenced to prison. During his arrest, law enforcement officers reported that he claimed he was a high-ranking government official and insisted he was in a hurry to get to the Pentagon, commanding hallucinations.
Reflecting on the incident, Whitmore shares that he hopes he will eventually come into his right mind and that “he will truly come to know Jesus.”
In terms of how he’s been handling the unexpected attention, Whitmore reveals that while he’s praying the cycle is short-lived, he also hopes the video can edify others.
“(it’s worth it) if it has a chance to encourage people to be prepared in season and out of season and whatever happens, dealing with a lost and dying world who is hurting and in need of restoration through Jesus Christ.”
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