Mass baptisms are back. Could your church join in?

Sunday 17 October 1999. The North Sea was cold that day.

I was ten years old when I told my parents I wanted to be baptised. My dad, a church leader, was keen to ensure I understood what that really meant, so I went through the obligatory baptism classes before our church went down to Felixstowe beach for the dunking. It was the day before my eleventh birthday. 

I don’t remember a huge amount about the day (aside from the water temperature) but I’ve never forgotten what it represented. I’ve spent the intervening years gently teasing Christian friends whose baptisms took place in a lovely heated indoor pool, rather than our freezing coastal waters!

Baptisms are special. I can think of so many emotional moments when individuals from all kinds of different backgrounds have publicly testified to how Jesus has saved them. Their short speeches often finish with the words “…and that’s why I want to be baptised” to huge applause and cheers from the watching congregation. 

Such stories are worth telling – and not only within church walls. That’s why I’ve been so encouraged to hear about the growing number of mass baptisms taking place at beaches and lakes near you. 

I first noticed this after 1,000 people from five churches came together on Bournemouth beach to witness 92 baptisms in the summer of 2025. It garnered significant mainstream media attention, including positive reports on the BBC. 

Just a few months ago, 20 churches in Rotherham also united for a mass baptism – this time at Manvers Lake. Senior pastor of Liberty Church, Adrian Dexter, said their gathering had historical precedent. In AD628, St Paulinus had baptised new converts in the nearby River Trent, in the presence of King Edwin. Writing on premierchristianity.com, Dexter explains: “We have believed and prayed for many years that what the Lord did then, He will do again – that the rivers and lakes of this nation will once again host mass, public baptisms.”

And there’s more. Just a few weeks ago, 170 people were baptised at Bigbury-on-Sea, Devon. People travelled from all over the country after Merlin Kraft, a Christian content creator, put the word out on social media. “No tickets. No charge. No booking. Just come.” And they did! “The line just kept coming,” says Kraft. “I must have been in the water for well over an hour.” Gospel tracts and more than 100 free Bibles were also distributed to onlookers. 

When the Bournemouth baptisms first hit the headlines, many cited them as evidence of the quiet revival. I’ve never been convinced by that analysis. Surely the story is instead one of Christian unity?

I truly believe that almost any town or city in the UK could hold its own mass baptism – if only local church leaders united, got their diaries out and made it happen.

I only have one suggestion. Don’t book it for October.