Source: Crosswalk, May 5, 2025
More than 7,000 people were baptized Saturday in the waters off Huntington Beach, California, in what organizers called the largest single-day baptism event in American history—and a milestone leading up to an even larger gathering planned for June.
It was the second year in a row for the “Baptize California” gathering, which saw 6,000 baptized along Huntington Beach last year but a record 7,750 this year.
The all-day event stretched until the evening, with men and women, young and old alike, lining up to publicly declare their faith in the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean as well as in portable baptistries. Bethel Music and the husband-and-wife team of Cody Carnes and Kari Jobe were among the featured singers.
Some 30,000 people were in attendance.
“You were part of the largest water baptism in American history,” pastor Mark Francey of Oceans Church, which hosted the campaign, told the crowd. “Who thinks that God could do it in the other states of America?”
Francey is one of the pastors behind June 8’s Baptize America, in which thousands of U.S. churches nationwide are expected to participate in what is being called the “largest synchronized baptism in history.” June 8 is Pentecost Sunday.
Read the full story and pray for those who were baptized or will be in June. May they grow deep in their faith and share it with others.
In some places, the decision to get baptized or baptize someone else can be costly. Hear what happened after a Muslim-background man baptized a new believer in his region (Frontiers USA).
Also from Crosswalk, read an article about the new record number of Bible app downloads recorded on Easter Sunday (featuring a video interview with the CEO of YouVersion).