Over 4,000 people were baptized on a California beach on Pentecost Sunday, which fell on the 50th anniversary of the start of the Jesus Movement.
Baptize SoCal, an event advertised as “the biggest water baptism in history,” was organized by Oceans Church.
“A moment I’ll never forget,” one attendee said of the event on Instagram.
According to CBN News, more than 280 churches and 8,000 attendees witnessed 4,166 people get baptized at Pirate’s Cove.
“What an amazing and historic day,” musician and pastor at West Coast Life Church, Ray Gene Wilson, said on Instagram. “Thousands baptized at Pirates Cove, God is moving in California!”
“This is absolutely amazing praying for all in their new walk with Jesus…. Welcome to the Kingdom family,” one person commented on a post about the event shared on Instagram.
“The Church is alive!” Worship leader Lindy Cofer exclaimed on social media. “What a beautiful sight in Southern California yesterday!!! On the 50th anniversary of the Jesus people movement,” she continued.
“It was such a blessing to witness so many people getting baptized for one but to be able to see happen in the same place that the hippies did 50 years ago for The Jesus People Movement was just surreal,” wrote videographer Eddy Ferguson.
The Jesus People movement and the baptisms in Pirates Cove are both featured in the movie Jesus Revolution. The film came out in theaters in February. It was a box office hit and topped the DVD and Blu-ray sales this month.
The film focuses on California megachurch Pastor and Harvest Crusades founder Greg Laurie who participated in the 1970s movement.
“People are hungry for this,” Laurie said of the film. “I’ve never heard of a movie in the theater that had people breaking into spontaneous prayer and worship or like I heard one story it was shown in the theater, and afterward some kids wanted to be baptized, and they baptized them in the fountain in front of the theater. I’ve never heard of such things, so I think these are all like little indications that God is at work.”
