One year after a firefighter saved his life during a heart attack, a church elder baptized the man who rescued him. The "full circle" miracle was one of hundreds across the state. This year’s Fill the Tank Sunday saw more than 700 believers take the step of obedience, as North Carolina Baptist churches celebrated God’s power to restore families and revitalize communities.

Faith Youngsville celebrated new life in multiple ways over the last year.

In December 2024, Jeff Pope, an elder at the church, had a heart attack. A team of first responders arrived quickly to his home.

Ben Davis, a captain with the Wake Forest Fire Department, was speaking to Pope about his symptoms — until his heart stopped. Davis and his team performed CPR and used an AED to shock his heart back into a normal rhythm. Pope made it to a hospital, where his heart was repaired.

About 10 months after the heart attack, Pope started thinking about meeting the crew of first responders that helped save his life.

On a Sunday soon after, he and his wife went to a later service than the 8 a.m. service they usually attend. When the service ended, they met and talked to a couple sitting behind them. It was Davis and his wife, Ashley, visiting Faith for the first time.

Kyle Wilson, a firefighter Davis worked with, also went to Faith. He had invited the Davises months before. The couple, who had just had their third child, were considering finding a church to attend.

“It’s been really incredible to see how God orchestrated that day to this time,” Pope said.

Davis grew up in the Mormon faith. Ashley had professed faith in Jesus years earlier but previously had hurtful experiences in a church.

“I was confident in my knowledge of Jesus. I learned the birth, death and resurrection of Christ and everything in between,” Ben said. “I knew Christ, but I hadn’t ‘come to know’ Christ yet.”

Davis and Pope began to meet and pray together regularly. On Dec. 21, 2025, almost exactly one year after Pope’s heart attack, Davis surrendered his life to Christ.

“I know that God has been working on my stubborn self for many, many years, but I was blind to Him. He never gave up on me,” Davis said. 

“I know that God put me in Jeff’s house that evening so that He could use me to save Jeff’s life, and in return He could use Jeff to save mine.”

Davis said God also put Wilson on his crew only two months before Pope’s heart attack so he could lead him to Faith Youngsville.

On Easter Sunday, Pope baptized both Ben and Ashley. Their family, many who remain active Mormons, were present to witness their baptisms.

Faith Youngsville celebrated seven baptisms across three services on April 5.

Revitalization and renewal across the state

After his children were born, Trevor Gage began to feel God’s call on his life, moving him toward Christ. In the interest of his family, he began going to church with his wife. This first act of faith started a years-long walk which culminated in his baptism at Hephzibah Baptist Church on April 12. 

Gage remarked that his knowledge of the Bible is still limited, but he is ready to learn and grow closer to Christ for both himself and his family. Hepzhibah saw nine lives changed through baptism on Fill the Tank Sunday.

In Yadkin County, local churches partnered to foster Longtown Community Church, which was regularly seeing about 35 senior adults in attendance. Mountain View Baptist, Collide Church and Bethel Baptist Church together helped revitalize the church.

In the last four months, Longtown has doubled in attendance, welcoming mostly young families.

“The fruit of the work really came on Fill the Tank Sunday, when they baptized 10 people,” said Terry Long, N.C. Baptist church health and revitalization strategist.

SOJO Church in Concord saw an entire family baptized on Easter. The family had faced hardships together and chose to trust Christ together. Both parents and their two sons professed faith in Jesus and were baptized on the same day. 

One week later, 17 others followed in baptism on Fill the Tank Sunday. One man had been attending SOJO for seven weeks and, seeing the change in his life, took the step of obedience.

These churches join others around North Carolina that celebrated hundreds of baptisms during Fill the Tank. The annual emphasis invites churches to share the gospel and prepare baptistries or pools, trusting that God will save people. Fill the Tank encourages believers to take the next step of obedience through baptism.

This was the fifth year of Fill the Tank, which asks churches to set aside a Sunday, usually the one after Easter, to hold baptisms. 

As of April 24, N.C. Baptist churches had reported about 725 baptisms. Churches can still report baptisms online through this form.

By Liz Tablazon, N.C. Baptist Contributing Writer, and Stephen Halley, Biblical Recorder Editorial Aide