{"id":10737,"date":"2024-06-03T09:37:02","date_gmt":"2024-06-03T13:37:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/christnewstoday\/?p=10737"},"modified":"2024-06-03T09:37:02","modified_gmt":"2024-06-03T13:37:02","slug":"pastor-seeks-to-baptize-america-after-setting-record-for-baptism-in-california","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/christnewstoday\/2024\/06\/pastor-seeks-to-baptize-america-after-setting-record-for-baptism-in-california.html","title":{"rendered":"Pastor Seeks to Baptize America After Setting Record For Baptism in California"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Baptize California\/YouTube<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In what\u2019s being called the largest synchronized baptism in American history, over 12,000 people were baptized in the name of Jesus across California on Pentecost Sunday. The pastor who founded the movement to make it happen called Baptize California says he plans to take it across America and then the world. Pastor Mark Francey of Oceans Church in Irvine, California, told The Christian Post in an interview, \u201cI think that when God wants to do something, He kind of creates the right atmosphere and ecosystem for it to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Francey, who founded his church five years ago, said he got a vision from God to promote baptism to help the local church about two years ago while praying. Acting on this vision, Francey said he and his church organized an event called Baptize Southern California last year, and\u00a0nearly 4,200 people were baptized<\/a>. In 2024, the church decided to go statewide with the baptism movement. And anchored by a flagship baptism site at the popular Huntington Beach, they reaped richly. Just over 6,000 people were baptized at Huntington Beach, and another 6,000 were baptized in the rest of the state, Francey said.<\/p>\n

Francey told CP, \u201cI don\u2019t know where God wants us to go. But we\u2019re kind of prepared for whatever He wants us to do. Ultimately, our desire is to make the Day of Pentecost the day that Christendom celebrates water baptism. I think it kind of happens organically every once in a while, but the Book of Acts obviously started with a prayer meeting that led to bold preaching in the public square, which led to a public declaration of faith that 3,000 believed, and then immediately, 3000 were baptized.\u201d Francy said the success of the new baptism movement has been buoyed by ecumenical support from churches that have chosen to unite around common tenets of the faith, like water baptism.<\/p>\n