Over 7,750 people were baptized in the Pacific Ocean near Huntington Beach, California, on Saturday, in what organizers state is the largest single-day baptism in U.S. history.
Hosted by Oceans Church and led by Pastor Mark Francey, the "Baptize California" event drew around 30,000 attendees from over 300 churches across California, with participants of all ages publicly professing their faith either in the ocean or in portable baptisteries along the beach.
Addressing the massive crowd, Pastor Francey proclaimed, “You were part of the largest water baptism in American history,” and posed the question, “Who thinks that God could do it in the other states of America?”
The event included worship performances by prominent Christian artists, such as Bethel Music, Kari Jobe, and Cody Carnes, enhancing the celebratory atmosphere.
This upcoming initiative, called "Baptize America," aims to unite thousands of churches across the United States in “the largest synchronized baptism in history.” The baptism, now in its second year, surpassed last year's attendance of 6,000 individuals and is viewed by organizers as a spiritual catalyst for an even more significant national event slated for next month.
The campaign focuses on the unity of churches from diverse backgrounds around the shared theological practice of public faith declaration through water baptism. According to the campaign’s website, “This is not about any single church. It's about churches across the nation united, pursuing the fulfillment of the Great Commission.”
The next scheduled event will occur on June 8, coinciding with Pentecost Sunday. The Baptize America team is actively recruiting churches from across the U.S. to participate in the upcoming movement, hoping it signifies a growing wave of national repentance and unity within the Church.
Pastor Francey expressed a vision of widespread spiritual awakening, 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 campaign website encourages participation by declaring, “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. 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.”
