Nearly 18,000 Baptized Across 49 Countries In Global Pentecost Sunday Baptism Event

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – Nearly 18,000 people were baptized across 49 countries and all 50 U.S. states on Pentecost Sunday, as more than 1,600 churches joined a coordinated global baptism movement organizers described as one of the largest synchronized baptism events in modern church history.

The “Baptize the World” initiative, led by Pastor Mark Francey of Oceans Church in California, reported more than 17,900 baptisms on May 24, with numbers still being tallied from participating congregations worldwide.

The global event brought together churches across six continents in a united public declaration of faith in Jesus Christ, with Baptist, evangelical, Pentecostal, and other Bible-believing congregations participating in the effort.

The central gathering was held at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., where believers worshiped, heard testimonies, and watched live updates from churches around the world as new converts and recommitted believers entered the waters of baptism.

“Pentecost Sunday is the perfect moment for this,” Francey said in a statement. “From Washington, D.C., to nations around the world, we witnessed people saying yes to Jesus in ways that were visible, powerful, and deeply personal.”

The movement traces its roots to Baptize SoCal, which began in California and has expanded rapidly in recent years. According to the Baptize movement’s website, the initiative has now seen more than 50,000 baptisms over the past two years, while uniting more than 1,600 churches around a shared call to the Great Commission.

Organizers said reports came in from nations including Australia, Uganda, South Korea, Brazil, Romania, the Philippines, Pakistan, Switzerland, Canada, Tajikistan, and Equatorial Guinea. One of the most striking reports came from Tajikistan, where Christians make up less than 1% of the population, underscoring the spiritual courage of believers in regions where following Christ can come at a cost.

In Equatorial Guinea, nine siblings were reportedly baptized together, a powerful testimony of entire families publicly identifying with Jesus Christ.

While the event was centered in Washington, D.C., organizers emphasized that it was not an American event exported to the world, but a global witness of the body of Christ lifting up the name of Jesus across nations, cultures, and denominations.

The event also carried deep biblical significance, taking place on Pentecost Sunday, the day Christians remember the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, when about 3,000 people were added to the early church after Peter preached in Jerusalem.

Organizers have already announced the next Baptize the World event for May 16, 2027.

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