Major Sign of Revival as Greg Laurie, Harvest Christian Fellowship Baptize 4,500 Souls at Pirates Cove
Stacey Thoroughgood, Wendy Griffith : Jul 10, 2023
CBN News
Between SoCal Harvest Crusade and the Jesus Revolution Pirate's Cove Baptisms, within one week, Laurie and Harvest Church have been able to help approximately 11,295 new Christians dedicate their lives to their Lord and Savior.
[CBN News] Inspired by the movie "Jesus Revolution", thousands of people came from all across America and the world over the weekend to take part in a "Jesus Revolution Baptism" at the now-famous Pirates Cove in Newport Beach, California. (Screengrab image: via CBN News)
Harvest Christian Fellowship Sr. Pastor Greg Laurie held the massive baptism event following last week's SoCal Harvest Crusade, where 32,500 people gathered and 6,794 made decisions to dedicate their lives to Jesus Christ.
Laurie, whose salvation story is featured in the "Jesus Revolution" film and who was also baptized at this location 50 years ago, couldn't believe the size of Saturday's crowd.
"We have around 4,000 people signed up to be baptized today, can you believe that!" Pastor Laurie exclaimed. But then the number grew even larger.
Just last month, approximately 4,100 people gathered at Pirate's Cove Beach for what was labeled as one of the largest water baptisms in history; however, on Saturday Pastor Laurie and other leaders from Harvest Christian Fellowship helped to baptize 4,500 people into the Christian faith, surpassing the previous baptism event that was celebrated by Oceans Church.
Thousands of people lined the seawall at the iconic Pirates Cove to wait their turn as Pastor Laurie explained to the crowd what baptism really means. (Screengrab image: via CBN News)
"You're saying goodbye to the old you, buried with Christ in baptism so you might walk in newness of life, that's what the Bible says, so you're coming out saying, 'I'm making this commitment' and you're doing it publicly in front of friends and family," he said.
A woman named Shelly came from Arizona with her three nieces to be baptized for the first time. "I saw the [Jesus Revolution] movie at first and then I realized that we all needed to get baptized," she explained. "I feel wonderful, it's a new life."
Click Here to watch the CBN News video report on the baptisms
Newport Beach Mayor pro-tem Will O'Neill called what's happening here "incredible".
"Not only are they baptizing people, but they're really bringing the community together. And look, we spend a lot of time thinking about water quality here in Newport Beach, but nothing is more pure than what's happening right now and it's just a special thing to see today," O'Neill said.
Laurie shared on social media the significance of baptizing others at Pirate's Cove Beach, stating "this of course is the site of the baptisms of the Jesus Movement" of the 1970s. He was among the many who were baptized there 50 years ago along with his wife, Cathe.
Between SoCal Harvest Crusade and the Jesus Revolution Pirate's Cove Baptisms, within one week, Laurie and Harvest Church have been able to help approximately 11,295 new Christians dedicate their lives to their Lord and Savior.
Laurie's personal mission, is "to know God and make Him known," which is evident in his Kingdom work happening in Harvest Church, in the public, and even in movie theaters through the "Jesus Revolution" film. He says he's thrilled to see the impact the movie is having on a new generation, and he's urging Christians to keep praying for revival so that what's happening in Pirates Cove will spread across the nation.
As one of the writers of "Jesus Revolution", Laurie shared, "This film is touching lives all around the world! Right now, it's playing in the UK and it's a box office hit. Now, it's being dubbed in Spanish and will be opening in theatres in Mexico and Brazil on July 27."
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His storytelling and actions are all a part of a larger plan, as he "has followed the call of the Great Commission [by] preaching to millions in jam-packed stadiums," carrying out baptisms, and continuing to tell the story of Jesus Christ's love for us.
Harvest Christian Fellowship's next baptism event is scheduled for August 20, 2023, where they look forward to welcoming more new Believers to the Christian faith. Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here
Stacey Thoroughgood is an Associate News Producer for CBN News. Thoroughgood has worked at CBN since 2022 and specializes in written journalism.
Wendy Griffith is a Co-host for The 700 Club and an Anchor and Senior Reporter for the Christian Broadcasting Network based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. In addition to The 700 Club, Wendy co-anchors Christian World News, a weekly show that focuses on the triumphs and challenges of the global Church.