Not your average Sunday service: Religious sect from the Middle East perform ancient baptism ritual in a suburban Australian river

They gather in droves every Sunday on the banks of the river to be baptised in long white ceremonial robes.

One by one they immerse themselves, swallow the freshwater and pray.

It's a scene reminiscent of biblical times hundreds of thousands of years ago in the Middle East, but fast forward to 2014 and you'll find it happens on the bank of Nepean River in Penrith, west of Sydney.

see more pics after d cut: