A massive gathering of Christians across California this weekend reportedly broke a record when participants collectively held the world’s largest-ever baptism.
Baptize California, an event that unfolded Saturday and Sunday at various locations throughout the Golden State, saw a historic number of people immersed at individual churches and during a main-stage event at Huntington Beach.
The two-day extravaganza, showcasing countless examples of life change and spiritual renewal, featured speakers, worship music from leaders like Sean Feucht and more.
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The Stunning Numbers
According to preliminary numbers, there were over 6,000 people baptized at the Huntington Beach location alone, with an additional 6,000 people immersed in churches across the state.
“You can smell another Great Awakening in the air like rain before it hits,” Pastor Francey, who founded the event, told CBN News on Monday. “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!”
Photos show some of the incredible baptism moments that unfolded at Huntington Beach Sunday night.
As previously reported, Francey, pastor of Oceans Church in California, shocked the nation last year, when he hosted Baptize SoCal. The event attracted thousands of spectators and led to nearly 4,200 baptisms, which was reportedly the largest recorded baptism in U.S. history at the time.
However, that record was upended a few weeks later, when Pastor Greg Laurie hosted a similar event and saw over 4,500 people get baptized.
For Francey, Baptize SoCal was just the beginning.
He’s been planning Baptize California, a follow-up event that would rally the entire state in hopes of seeing God work in an incredible way—and, based on the initial projections, his efforts paid off.
“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,” Francey said, expressing his elation over how the event took form. “We are proof that God really can use anybody.”
The pastor said this year’s event was massive, crediting God for bringing it all together.
“It was a surreal and extraordinary day!” Francey told CBN News. “[It] felt like we were living in the pages of the books of Acts!”
And the individual stories coming from Baptize California are truly incredible. Francey shared just one such story, telling CBN News how a Satanist accepted Jesus and “immediately got water baptized.”
“You could see the change immediately,” he said.
The preacher said 1,000 people accepted Jesus at Huntington Beach, with thousands coming to watch the event unfold.
“[The] crowd steadily swelled to—at one point—as much as 14,000,” Francey said. “Hundreds of churches linked arms to accomplish what happened.”
To read the full story, visit our content partners at Faithwire.
Reprinted with permission from cbn.com. Copyright © 2024 The Christian Broadcasting Network Inc. All rights reserved.
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Talia Wise and CBN News 
Abby Trivett 
