A female pastor has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter after a man drowned during a paddling pool baptism. Robert Smith, 61, died during the Christian ceremony held in the back garden of a private address in Erdington, Birmingham, on October 8, 2023. Cheryl Bartley, 48, who is the pastor for the Life Changing Ministries church, has now been arrested and charged in relation to her role in the baptism. Emergency services were called to the address shortly after 1.30pm where they gave Mr Smith 'advanced life support' but he pronounced dead at the scene. He had already been baptised when he was a teenager but wanted a second ceremony to become a 'born-again believer'.

Source: Daily Mail April 08, 2026 18:58 UTC