Couple Travels from Oregon to Be Baptized at Spencerville

A faith journey that began online culminated at the Spencerville (Silver Spring, Md.) church on July 15, as Catherine Hillerman and Jarrett Hendricks, a married couple from Oregon, flew across the country to be baptized at the church that helped lead them to Christ during the pandemic.

The couple, who go by the names Cat and Jett, had dabbled in various faith traditions and New Age spirituality, but during the pandemic, Cat felt a sudden urge to read the Bible, despite not even owning one at the time. As she read the Bible more, she searched for additional resources online to further her study, eventually leading her to some prophecy videos by an Adventist pastor. After watching the videos, she decided that she wanted to start attending a Sabbath-keeping church. 

Jett says he was initially hesitant but wanted to be supportive of Cat’s explorations. He watched the videos Cat shared with him and began reading some Christian authors. Over time, he became convicted of his personal need for the freedom and grace Jesus offers.

In search of a Sabbath-keeping church during a global pandemic, the couple began searching for an Adventist church that broadcast worship services online. Eventually, they stumbled across the Spencereville church’s broadcasts and enjoyed the church’s music and Pastor Chad Stuart’s sermons. They quickly became regular viewers and began to feel part of the Spencerville church community, even from thousands of miles away. 

When Stuart began promoting Connect Groups during his messages, Cat and Jett believed God was urging them to take this next step. To their delight, they discovered a hybrid Sabbath School class that enabled them to participate in a weekly Bible study through Zoom. The couple joined the group and quickly developed friendships with the other members. “They became like family to us,” the couple said, adding that they looked forward to studying together each week.

As the pandemic restrictions subsided, the couple began looking for a local church in Oregon they could attend in person. They started attending the Sandy church and decided that they wanted to join the congregation as members. However, Cat and Jett felt a deep desire to return to where their spiritual journey began, and so they decided to make the trek across the United States to Spencerville to be baptized. 

On July 15, with members of their hybrid Sabbath School class occupying the front row, Cat and Jett were baptized at the Spencerville church.

“Online ministry is real ministry,” says Jason Lombard, pastor for Media and Communication. “We’re thankful that Spencerville Church had the privilege of being a part of Cat and Jett’s spiritual journey!”

A recording of Cat and Jett’s testimony is available on the Spenceville church’s YouTube channel.