A mass baptism held at California’s Pirate Cove saw 2,100 people baptized on Saturday, August 16, 2025, Crosswalk reports.
It was part of the annual Jesus Revolution baptismal event sponsored by Harvest Christian Fellowship. The baptism event was first initiated by the church’s senior pastor, Greg Laurie, in 2023.
Laurie was key leader in the Jesus People movement that spread through US Hippies in the 1960s and early 1970s. That movement saws tens of thousands of young people become Christians. This resulted in mass baptisms taking place at Pirate’s Cove.
When Laurie restarted the tradition in 2023, over 4,500 people were water baptized the first year. This was followed by 2,000 in 2024.
Since the Jesus Revolution baptisms began two years ago, over 8,500 people have been water baptized. Another 1,300 people have been baptized a Harvest Fellowship based in Riverside, California over the same period, bringing the total to nearly 10,000.
“I believe that God is really at work in a significant way,” Laurie said in the Sunday sermon following the event. “I heard about one guy who came from Utah. He’s a truck driver. He actually watched our Jesus Revolution film. The Lord touched his heart. He came to Christ as a result. …And so he came all the way from Utah to be baptized. So we have people literally from all around the country that came to this baptism — it was really so exciting, and we’re thanking God for that.”
Laurie added that these baptisms were “true signs of revival.”
The Holy Spirit is Moving Around the World
The Holy Spirit is on the move and it’s not just happening in America, but around the world.
On July 27, the front page of the Sunday Express, a major newspaper in England, read: Global Crisis sending Gen Z to church.
Gen Z includes those born between the mid 1990s and 2010 (ages 13 to 28).
In an article for Premier Christianity, evangelist Greg Downes said the phrase “quiet revival” is increasingly being used to describe what is taking place in the UK.
Many church leaders in that country are seeing a ’spiritual u-turn’ among Gen Z,
What is equally significant is that most came from homes that have had minimal contact with Christianity.
Downes shared the story of a young man, Zakk, who grew up in an atheist family. By the age of 22 had only been to church seven times.
Zakk became a Christian after being invited to church at the urging of a Christian friend.
“I grew up atheist for 22 years. My parents and almost all of my immediate family are atheists and that’s the world I lived in,” Zakk testified. “About eight weeks ago, I went to church for the first time after my friend invited me. I felt an instant impact but still had my questions. After the service today, I prayed quietly with you but it wasn’t until after the service and me, you and Jonny prayed together that I really felt like I accepted Jesus and yeah I now call myself a Christian. I really appreciate it man – it changed my life.”
We are often caught up in the political and economic events consuming our news cycle. Because of this it is easy to miss that the Holy Spirit is on the move beneath the surface.
OpentheWord.org 
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