Jacob Phillips surprises Carmen Smith with a marriage proposal in the Jordan River

Jordan River Baptism Leads to Surprise for C-N Coed

By: Kristen Buckles

Posted: 1/25/08

Although a stop at the Jordon River was on the itinerary of their 10-day mission trip to Israel, several surprises were in store for the A Cappella Choir, when the opportunity for baptisms in the Jordan River presented itself.

After their arrival in Israel, students questioned if it would be possible for baptisms to take place during their visit to the Jordan River. Once it was decided that, yes, any student who wished to be baptized would be given that opportunity, the hectic schedule of the next few days left few chances to plan ahead.

On the morning of December 17, Jacob Philips approached Rev. James Mathis, a senior member of the choir who has a license to minister, during breakfast. Jacob's then soon-to-be fiancée, Carmen Smith, had expressed an interest in being baptized in the Jordan. It was during that time that Rev. Mathis, a youth pastor at Rogers Memorial Baptist Church who had previous experience helping his pastor baptize, realized he would be the one to conduct the baptisms.

"The funny thing is," Rev. Mathis chuckled, "I thought we were going the next day to the Jordan River, but we ended up going that same day that we were even thinking about it and planning it out."

After an emotional day singing hymns on the Sea of Galilee, the unprepared group headed for the Jordan River.

The commercialism of the area surprised the choir, as did the need to purchase what Carmen Smith, a senior choir member, described as a nine-dollar sheet with armholes cut into it. The girls were forced to wrap towels around themselves to maintain their modesty, as the sheets clung when wet. In addition to this, the water, they reported, was miserably cold.

"This water couldn't have been more that 58 or 60 [degrees], I mean it was freezing cold… Whenever I went under the water, it just, I mean it took my breath away," Phillips, a sophomore choir member, commented.

Nonetheless, spirits remained high, with the group clapping and cheering for each student that came up out of the water. Despite the uncomfortable circumstances, the opportunity for Rev. Mathis to baptize them in the same river John the Baptist baptized Christ outweighed any discomfort.

The fun was just beginning, however, after Carmen Smith, the last person Rev. Mathis baptized, came up out of the water.

"When she came out of the water and I was waiting on her," Phillips grinned, "to propose…you could hear the [choir] gasp."

"When I got out of the water," Smith laughed, "[James Mathis] said, 'Will you direct your attention over here?' and I was going, 'No! I'm still in a sheet!' So I started pulling at myself, because I didn't know what was going on. Then I look over there and Jacob was standing in the water and I thought he was going to give me a hug then it got like, he's not just going to give me a hug. So I walked over, and he's standing there, and he says 'Carmen… I love you.'"

The romantic moment continued as Jacob dropped to one knee and presented Carmen with his grandmother's diamond. Needless to say, her answer was 'yes.'