'I've never seen that': Over 400 youth get baptized at Christian conference

Over 400 students made a commitment to Jesus through baptism recently at the Winterfest Conference in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. 

Winterfest is an annual youth rally that just held its conference in February. While it wasn't a 'flashy' event according to attendees, something happened because hundreds of youth decided to be baptized as a result. 

David Schilling, the youth minister for the Hardin Valley Church of Christ in Knoxville, TN, took a group of kids to the event. 

"[The worship didn't have] that larger-than-life wow factor I’ve come to expect," says Schiling of the first few days of the conference. 

However, things changed during the Sunday morning service. 

The minister, Jeff Walling, asked the crowd of teenagers if anyone wanted to come forward and declare their belief in Jesus by being baptized. Their response left many amazed. 

According to The Christian Chronicle, there were 200 youth that came forward in that first service. 

"What was missing actually made more room for the Holy Spirit to permeate the experience," says Schiling. 

During the second service, the minister put out a call to action again, and once more, 200 more students came forward to be baptized. 

The organizer of the event, Dudley Chancey said, "This is my 36th year doing Winterfest, and I've never seen that."