Thousands Flock to Historic Baptism Event on California Beach
In a remarkable gathering at Huntington Beach, California, more than 7,750 individuals were baptized in the Pacific Ocean, setting a record for the largest single-day baptism in the United States. The event, organized by Oceans Church and led by Pastor Mark Francey, drew a crowd of approximately 30,000 attendees from over 300 churches across California.
Known as “Baptize California”, the event saw participants of all ages publicly affirming their faith in the ocean and in portable baptisteries set up along the beach. Pastor Francey addressed the crowd, declaring, “You were part of the largest water baptism in American history. Who thinks that God could do it in the other states of America?”
Now in its second year, the mass baptism surpassed the previous year’s attendance of 6,000. Organizers view it as a precursor to a larger national initiative, “Baptize America,” which aims for a record-breaking synchronized baptism event involving thousands of churches nationwide. Scheduled for June 8, this event coincides with Pentecost Sunday, a day commemorating the Holy Spirit’s descent on the apostles, and is intended to inspire a spiritual awakening across the nation.
Francey expressed a vision for the upcoming event, stating, “We’re going to flood local churches in every single one of our states, and we’re going to see a mass water baptism across our land.” The Baptize America campaign seeks to unite churches through the shared practice of water baptism, promoting the fulfillment of the Great Commission.
Renowned Christian artists like Bethel Music, Kari Jobe, and Cody Carnes contributed to the event’s atmosphere with worship performances. Among the new believers was 71-year-old Joanne, who had contemplated baptism for decades. Francey baptized her in the ocean, wishing, “We pray that you would rise up out of these waters with a new nature and a new life.”
Organizers hope the June event will herald a wave of national repentance and unity in the Church. The movement’s website echoes this sentiment, stating, “If God can do it in California, He can do it in any state. And if He can do it in America, He can do it in any other nation in the world.” They are actively recruiting churches across the U.S. to join the June 8 movement, urging, “Join the movement today. Our nation and the nations of the earth will bear witness that God is not done with America. It will be saved.”
In a previous interview with The Christian Post, Francey shared that he received a vision from God about two years ago to promote baptism as a way to support the local church. He said, “I think that when God wants to do something, he kind of creates the right atmosphere and ecosystem for it to happen.”
Francey envisions expanding Baptize California globally, emphasizing the importance of connecting new believers with local churches. He stated, “Our heart was to unite the local church, to work together, to really reach our world, and then to build a kingdom by connecting all of these people that are making a decision to get connected to the local church. For us, the win isn’t the count of how many got baptized; really, it’s going to be how that translates into how we are getting people connected to the local church.”
This article was originally written by www.christianpost.com
