The Church of Eleven22 baptized 1,958 people at Hanna Park Beach in Jacksonville, Florida on Sunday, May 18, 2025. Thousands more came to watch and support their friends and family members.
We all know how powerful it feels when someone we care about takes a big step in their faith journey.
Watching nearly 2,000 people declare their love for Jesus brings that same joy but multiplied beyond what we can imagine.
God shows us again and again that He is working in people’s hearts everywhere.
People traveled from all over the country to be part of this special day. Many came from other parts of Florida and southeast Georgia. More than 11,000 people gathered at the beach to celebrate together.
The church has held this beach baptism every year for over ten years, and it keeps getting bigger.
Pastor Joby Martin leads The Church of Eleven22. He shared his excitement about what happened. “We are a movement for all people to discover and deepen a relationship with Jesus Christ,” Martin said.
“Today, we celebrated 1,958 people proclaiming Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. It doesn’t get much better than that! The church is alive and well, the Spirit of God is on the move, and the gospel of Jesus Christ is still changing lives as it has for thousands of years.”
“And it’s not the water that baptizes you. It’s that relationship you have with Christ through the Gospel of Jesus. And so this is an opportunity for us to celebrate these people whose sins have been washed away and they’ve been resurrected to a newness of life.”
Every person who got baptized answered the same important question. Someone asked them, “Who is Jesus Christ?” Each person replied, “Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior.” This simple answer means everything to a believer’s life.
Last year, the church baptized more than 1,600 people at the same beach. This year’s number of 1,958 shows how God continues to draw more people to Himself. The growth amazes church leaders and members alike.
Jay Owen speaks for The Church of Eleven22. He shared his thoughts about these big baptism events. “It’s a great reminder that the church is not dead, and neither is God,” Owen said.
“He is moving amongst his people all over the world and we’re all just swept up in His work. It’s a gift to be a part of it all.”
People who watched the event online shared their thoughts too. One person wrote, “1,958 lives were changed and that’s not including all those that witnessed it.”
Another person thoughtfully wrote, “My prayer is that each and every one of them TRULY GOT SAVED and that they find a BIBLE TEACHING, BIBLE PREACHING church and dig in to THE WORD OF GOD!”
The church calls this beach baptism one of their best moments in over ten years of ministry.
Church organizers say this event shows how God works through ordinary people doing extraordinary things for Him.
The beach baptism gives new believers a chance to tell everyone about their faith decision. It also encourages other believers to keep sharing the gospel message with people they know.
The Spirit of God is moving across our nation in powerful ways. All these events point to the mega event. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is coming soon.
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