Although it’s not an uncommon occurrence in this area for a baptism to be performed in one of the local lakes, it was a first in it’s more than 50 year history last week when a baptism was hosted by Trooper Island Camp on Dale Hollow Lake in Clinton County.

Albany First Baptist Church has for many years sponsored a weekly, nondenominational service for the campers and staff in Upchurch Memorial Chapel at Trooper Island Camp, and at the conclusion of a recent service, two of the camp staff counselors made the request to be baptized in front of the chapel.

Last week, following the service, Mike Lawson, a deacon at Albany First Baptist Church, assisted by Allen Smith, who coordinates the weekly service at Trooper Island, performed the baptism of the two counselors, Taylor Flowers, above, of Albany, and Ally Simpson, below, of Pikeville, with family members, camp staff and the entire group of campers attending Trooper Island that week, witnessing the event from the hillside in front of the Chapel.