Kyle Lake, pastor of University Baptist Church in Waco, Tex., and a leader in the “emerging church” movement, was electrocuted as he stepped into baptismal waters and reached out to adjust a microphone during the Sunday morning service Oct. 30. He was 33.
More than 800 people were present when the tragedy occurred during homecoming weekend at nearby Baylor University, according to a report by the Waco Tribune-Herald.
Several doctors in the congregation rushed to Lake when he collapsed, but efforts to revive him were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center around 11:30 a.m.
“At first, there was definitely confusion just because everyone was trying to figure out what was going on,” Ben Dudley, community pastor at University Baptist, told the Tribune-Herald. “Everyone just immediately started praying.”
University Baptist Church was founded in 1995 by Chris Seay and Christian recording artist David Crowder, who is a main worship leader in the collegiate Passion movement. The congregation has grown to about 600 members.
Lake, a leader in the emerging church movement seeking to develop new forms of worship and theological inquiry for a new cultural context, was the author of “Understanding God’s Will: How to Hack the Equation Without Formulas” and “(re)Understanding Prayer: A Fresh Approach to Conversation with God.”
In an interview of Lake by “The Leadership Blog” at blogspot.com on Oct. 17, the first question asked what gave him the greatest joy in being a leader.
“As of today, I think the thing that probably attracts my attention more than anything is seeing someone genuinely explore an aspect of life, ministry or God beyond the commonly held assumptions that their culture has provided for them,” Lake responded. “Not for the satisfaction found in being a renegade, but because there’s an authentic pursuit of truth about the world in which they live.”
Another question asked Lake to name his goals as a leader.
“I carry the expectation that I will always be (and my church will always be) in a truer place – truer to God, ourselves and our mission year after year … a more thoughtful place year after year … an emotionally healthier place year after year,” he said.
Lake is survived by his wife Jennifer, a 5-year-old daughter and two 3-year-old sons.
At a remembrance service at First Baptist Church in Waco, about 1,000 people gathered to share memories of the pastor who was especially well-liked among college students.