-Staff Report
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
MONTPELIER – A traveling baptism revival with a national social media following is coming to Williams County this summer, and organizers say everything about the two-day event will be free to the public.
The Promises We Make, an outdoor wedding venue owned by Tate and Lisa Fackler at 8579 County Road I in Montpelier, announced it will host evangelist Kayla Gabbard and her “Meet Me In The Water” revival on Saturday, July 11 and Sunday, July 12, 2026. Gates will open at 7 a.m. each day.
Gabbard, a Kentucky-based evangelist and baptizer who leads Kayla Gabbard Ministry (also known as KGministry), has built a traveling ministry around a simple premise: show up at a body of water, preach the gospel, and baptize anyone who comes forward, for as long as the line holds. According to the ministry’s website, revivals continue “until the last person is baptized.”
The Montpelier stop will be part of a broader schedule that has taken Gabbard’s team to locations in Georgia, Florida, Texas, Oklahoma and other states over the past two years, with a YouTube retrospective released by the ministry reporting more than 3,900 baptisms during the 2023-2024 revival season alone.
According to the venue’s announcement on social media, the event came together through a local connection. Gloria Frisby and Dawn Whitlock, both affiliated with River of Life Worship Center on U.S. 20A in Montpelier, reached out to the Fackler family roughly five months ago about the possibility of using the venue’s pond for a baptism revival.
“This is more than an event, this is a two day baptism revival dedicated to a spiritual renewal and meaningful connections,” the venue wrote in its announcement.
“Come out to get baptized or simply come out to step away from the chaos and all the noise of the world today. Find a time for clarity and strength. Find peace, find a renewal.”
The Fackler family, who launched The Promises We Make in 2020 and also operate LT Tree Farm, a first-generation Christmas tree farm on the same property, said hosting the revival was not part of their original vision for the venue but felt like a natural fit.
“We have built this on faith and this is where it has led,” the venue’s announcement read. “We are so blessed for this movement. This has been a challenging secret to keep.”
According to Kayla Gabbard Ministry, revival attendees can expect continuous baptisms throughout the day, worship music from the ministry’s band, Selah Praise, and periodic preaching from Pastor Elwood, who travels with the team.
The line for baptism is first-come, first-served and is fed to a rotating team of baptizers, including Gabbard and Pastor Elwood. The ministry says those who come to be baptized typically wait in line alongside other attendees and that the wait itself is described by past participants as a meaningful part of the experience.
The ministry advises attendees to bring their own chairs for the line, along with sunscreen, umbrellas, towels, a change of clothes, snacks and water. Organizers note that people who arrive not planning to be baptized often change their minds, so a change of clothes is recommended for everyone.
Organizers have emphasized repeatedly that the event carries no cost to attendees.
“This is all free,” the venue’s announcement stated. “There is no charge for parking or to be baptized. There is no merchandise for sale. Everything is free.”
According to the ministry’s website, free parking, entry, baptisms, Bibles and food are all provided at each revival. The ministry does not sell merchandise on site and does not accept payment for baptisms.
Overnight stays on the property are not permitted. Pets are discouraged out of respect for the property owners, though the ministry says exceptions can be made if animals are leashed and cleaned up after.
The Promises We Make sits on a secluded rural property in Williams County and typically hosts outdoor weddings, micro weddings, elopements and private events for up to 150 guests, with a large pond as the central feature of the property. Lisa Fackler spoke about the venue at a Montpelier Rotary Club meeting in August 2024.
Kayla Gabbard Ministry describes its mission as a return to biblical standards and biblical baptism. In addition to the traveling “Meet Me In The Water” revivals, Gabbard hosts a podcast titled “In The Water: KG Ministry Podcast” and posts daily Bible content across social media platforms, where she has a substantial following on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
Information about the Montpelier revival, including any updates, is being shared through the Facebook pages of The Promises We Make, Outdoor Wedding Venue and Kayla Gabbard Ministry. General information about the ministry is available at kaylagabbardministry.com.
The Promises We Make can be reached at (419) 212-1529 or thepromiseswemake@gmail.com.