Pastor Cheryl Bartley Charged with Gross Negligence Manslaughter After Baptism Drowning in Birmingham, United Kingdom

A pastor associated with Life Changing Ministries in Erdington, Birmingham, Cheryl Bartley, has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter over the drowning of Robert Smith, 61, during a baptism ceremony in October 2023. The charge is a criminal allegation, and the sources report no plea, trial, or conviction.

The ceremony took place on October 8, 2023, at a property on Slade Road in Erdington. Reports differ on the setting. One account says the baptism was held in a small pool in the property’s garden. Another describes a backyard baptism in a kiddie pool. Both accounts agree that the event was held outdoors at a private home rather than at a church building, and that Smith drowned during it.

The ceremony was livestreamed on the church’s Facebook page. The BBC reported that the stream was cut during the event, and that the video was later removed. Another report said the video had been removed without giving a separate timeline.

Smith’s background appears in one report. He was described as a man from Brixton, south London, who had moved to the United Kingdom from Jamaica about 25 years before his death and had been a member of the church for four years. That report describes him as living in Brixton, while the ceremony took place in Birmingham. The other reports do not mention his residence.

Prosecutors allege that Bartley’s actions led to Smith’s death, according to one report. The Crown Prosecution Service announced the charge, and the reports identify Bartley as 48 years old. One report, published nearly three years after the incident, says she faces one count of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the drowning of a 61-year-old man during a backyard baptism organized by Life Changing Ministries (Luke 12:48). The sources do not describe a court appearance, plea, or outcome for the charge.