Historic Baptism Event in California Sees 12,000 Christians Immersed
A record-breaking gathering of Christians in California made headlines over the weekend by hosting the largest baptism event in U.S. history. Baptize California, held on Saturday and Sunday, took place across multiple locations, culminating in a main event at Huntington Beach.
The two-day celebration featured inspirational speakers, worship music led by Sean Feucht, and numerous testimonies of personal transformation and spiritual renewal. Over 6,000 people were baptized at the Huntington Beach site, with an additional 6,000 immersions occurring in churches throughout the state.
Pastor Mark Francey, founder of the event and pastor of Oceans Church in California, shared his excitement with CBN News. “It was a surreal and extraordinary day! It felt like we were living in the pages of the books of Acts!” he said, crediting God for bringing it all together.
Among the incredible stories from Baptize California, Francey highlighted one where a Satanist accepted Jesus and was immediately baptized. “You could see the change immediately,” Francey noted.
The event also saw 1,000 people accepting Jesus at Huntington Beach, with thousands more witnessing the event. “The crowd steadily swelled to — at one point — as much as 14,000,” Francey said. “Hundreds of churches linked arms to accomplish what happened.”
Photos captured the powerful moments of baptism at Huntington Beach, showcasing the joy and faith of those involved. Last year, Francey hosted Baptize SoCal, which saw nearly 4,200 baptisms and set a record at the time. However, that record was surpassed a few weeks later by Pastor Greg Laurie, who baptized over 4,500 people.\
Undeterred, Francey aimed even higher with Baptize California, uniting believers across the state in a shared vision of spiritual revival. The event’s success, with preliminary numbers indicating a total of 12,000 baptisms, suggests that his efforts were indeed fruitful.
Reflecting on the event, Francey expressed his gratitude and amazement. “My wife, Rachelle, and I could hardly sleep thinking about how God could be so kind to let us be a part of the largest baptism in the history of America,” he said. “We are proof that God really can use anybody.
