Churches across California gathered to celebrate Pentecost over last weekend, baptising thousands of people in what’s been reported as the USA’s largest collective baptism in history.
Twelve thousand people were immersed in water across various churches in the state, as part of the “Baptise California” initiative, with 6,000 being baptised at the campaign’s headquarters in Huntington Beach.
Pastor Mark Francey, the visionary behind the monumental event, told CBN that even Satanists joined in.
“God lit a match yesterday! If God can do this in the church in California, it can — and it will — happen in the rest of America. It was a lot of people – so many cool stories,” said Francey.
“They’re flooding in, from Satanists that came to the beach that got radically encountered by the love of God, end up getting baptised spontaneously, to one couple proposing. The guy gets baptised comes out of the water, has a ring in his pocket, proposes to his wife on the beach.”
Francey also shared that entire families made their way to the water.
“I baptised one family that had 17 people between kids, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles – everyone getting baptised – crying, hugging. I mean it felt like a book of Acts page,” he said.
Churches from various denominational backgrounds also played a role.
“It is not about one denomination,” explained Francey. “It’s an inter-denominational effort. It’s really a Great Commission mandate that’s allowing everybody, enough room in our doctrine to go, ‘Look we might not see eye to eye on every single tenet of our faith, but we all do agree that Jesus told us to go into all the world, make disciples of all nations baptising them.'”
The baptisms come on the heels of a move of God happening in other parts of the country. Florida beaches, the Texas Gulf, and rivers in the Midwest have become epicentres for mass baptisms.
Worship leaders and speakers led people in a two-day Pentecost celebration at the beach front location.
Last Year, Francey hosted a similar event called ‘Baptise SoCal’ in which more than 280 churches gathered on mass to witness over 4,000 baptisms, reportedly breaking records for the largest recorded US baptism event.
Speaking at the time, organisers Oceans Church called the event the “greatest Holy Awakening to hit our shores.”
Shortly after this, a similar event hosted by pastor Greg Laurie saw a further 4,500 people baptised in water at Pirates Cove, breaking the previous record.
Born out of a vision from God, Francey intends to grow the mass immersion campaign to reach beyond California as a nationwide event.
“Now we are gearing up to do this and unite the church all over America,” Francey told CBN News.
The next event is planned for Pentecost Sunday, 8th June 2025.
Baptise California seeks to see people saved, baptised in water and brought into discipleship through local churches.
(Picture Courtesy: Baptise California, Facebook)
