Waco pastor electrocuted during service

Mourners filled the pews of First Baptist Church Sunday night to grieve the death of the Rev. Kyle Lake, who was electrocuted earlier in the day as he prepared to baptize a new member at University Baptist Church.

Lake, 33, was stepping into the baptistery, a small pool used for baptisms, as he reached out to adjust a nearby microphone, which produced an electric shock, said Ben Dudley, community pastor at University Baptist Church. Several doctors attending the service because of Baylor University's homecoming rushed to help Lake, who collapsed, Dudley said.

Church members called 9-1-1 and efforts were made to revive him by administering CPR before emergency medical service personnel arrived, Dudley said.

Lake and a woman being baptized were taken by ambulance to Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center, Dudley said. Medical personnel tried to re-establish a regular heartbeat for about 45 minutes but were not able to resuscitate Lake, he said.

The woman, whom church officials declined to identify, was taken to the hospital as a precaution and was not seriously injured, Dudley said. It did not appear that she was standing in the water at the time of the accident, he said.

At first, there was definitely confusion just because everyone was trying to figure out what was going on, Dudley said. Everyone just immediately started praying.

Two East Texas Medical Center EMS ambulances and two Waco Fire Department units responded to the emergency call at about 11 a.m., said Jimmie Mauppin, Waco Fire Department assistant chief.

Lake died at Hillcrest at about 11:30 a.m., Dudley said.

Lake had been the pastor at UBC, which is heavily attended by Baylor students, since 1999. He served with the church since 1997 when he received his master of divinity degree from Truett Seminary.

Church members and Baylor students went to First Baptist Church Sunday night for a gathering to explain what happened to those who were not there and to comfort the grieving.

Baylor administrators, including interim President Bill Underwood and Samuel W. Dub Oliver, interim vice president for student life, attended Sunday evening's meeting.

Kyle and the other staff have been very gifted in reaching students and making the Gospel come alive for students, Oliver said. It is a huge loss for the university community.

Paul Stripling, emeritus executive director of the Waco Baptist Association, said Lake had a special knack for reaching out to young people.

He had a dynamic in reaching young people that was very, very helpful and innovative, Stripling said in a telephone interview. He brought to the table some new ways to reach young people in ministry. And he was a master at it.

Blair Browning, a former church leadership team member, agreed.

He was really unique because he was laid back without being watered-down, Browning said during a session with news media prior to Sunday night's gathering. He was very relational. I think we all gravitated to him because he looked cooler than all of us, but he was really smart. � People that would never have darkened the doorstep of a church felt comfortable talking to Kyle.

Lake, of Tyler, earned a bachelor's degree in speech communications and religion in 1994 from Baylor. He is survived by his wife Jennifer and three children, twin 3 year-old sons and a 5-year-old daughter.

We will move forward as a church, Dudley said to the UBC congregation gathered at First Baptist. I don't know how, when, why, where, or what's going to happen, but we will continue as a church in the community because that is what Kyle would have wanted.

UBC, 1701 Dutton Ave., was founded in 1995 by Chris Seay and Christian music recording artist David Crowder as a mission of Beverly Hills Baptist Church. The church has grown steadily to a congregation of about 600 members.

Funeral arrangements are pending, but a visitation has been scheduled at 6 p.m. today at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home, 6101 Bosque Blvd. Information on funeral services will be posted on the church's Web site, www.ubcwaco.org

Jennifer Lake has asked that donations be sent to UBC in lieu of flowers.

Story Courtesy of The Waco Tribune-Herald. By David Doerr Tribune-Herald staff writer.

http://www.wacotrib.com/news/content/news/stories/2005/10/29/20051031wacpastorelectrocu.html

Mike Holt's Comment: For more information on the proper grounding (bonding) of sound systems, and the elimination of 'noise,' visit http://www.equitech.com/articles/enigma.html.