Christians participated in what is being called the nation’s largest-ever baptism that occurred in California over the weekend with approximately 12,000 people being immersed.
Crowds gathered for the May 18 and 19 event, which was dubbed Baptize California, CBN News reported Tuesday. Part of the weekend was a main-stage event at Huntington Beach, which featured speakers and worship leaders.
“WE WILL NEVER FORGET WHAT GOD DID THIS WEEKEND. This is revival,” the Baptize California Facebook page wrote in a post Wednesday.
Images show people being baptized in a large tank near the stage and numerous people gathered near the ocean:
Per CBN, the preliminary numbers showed there were more than 6,000 baptisms at Huntington Beach and 6,000 more at different churches in California.
One social media user who participated in the event at Huntington Beach said the event had 60 stations set up to get people baptized:
When speaking of the incredible gathering, its founder, Oceans Church Pastor Mark Francey said, “You can smell another Great Awakening in the air like rain before it hits. 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!”
Participants prayed over others at the event, and other individuals were seen holding large banners that read “Jesus is King,” according to video footage.
Francey hosted Baptize SoCal in 2023, which resulted in nearly 4,200 baptisms, and he has been planning the recent event ever since that time and is beyond happy at the outcome.
“It was a surreal and extraordinary day! [It] felt like we were living in the pages of the books of Acts!” he added:
Now, Francey is planning something even bigger for next year, calling it Baptize America. He also urged people to get ready and sign up their churches for the event on June 8.
“Now we are gearing up to do this and unite the church all over America,” he said.