More than 1,000 people from five different churches gathered on Bournemouth beach last weekend. As 92 people came forward to be baptised, local church leader Chris Sinkinson says that it’s another example of the changing spiritual atmosphere in Britain
Something special happened in Bournemouth last weekend. Baptisms are always a time of celebration but when five churches came together to share a baptism service on the beach the response was extraordinary. Is there really a “quiet revival” taking place? This may be another piece of positive evidence.
It had been months in the planning, and I was out in the water at 7:30am to test the temperature. The sun was shining, the long sandy beach was clean and the water remarkably warm. The churches that joined together ranged from the more traditional evangelical to lively charismatic, but all share a common commitment to the good news of Jesus Christ.
More than we could ask for or imagine
Prior to the Sunday morning, 70 people had asked to be baptised. We created a website to host their stories, knowing that we’d only have time for a few spoken testimonies of lives changed on the day. One of our friends had only become a Christian a couple of weeks previously on a housing estate where we are involved in a local outreach.
But then the event escalated. More than 1,000 people worshipping on the beach and listening to an evangelistic message. Passing visitors couldn’t help but stop and take notice! The numbers coming forward for baptism rose to 92. We were busy in the water. I don’t know all the stories, but the spontaneous requests for baptism from people in our own church were from people we knew - and their profession of faith was genuine.
People have a hunger for God. The gods of secularism have lost their appeal
Being honest, I am still a bit stunned by what happened. And it posed a few questions for me, not least: Why do most of our baptisms take place behind closed doors? To baptise in a public place – such as a beach in Bournemouth on a warm July day - maximises the impact.
Despite being JRR Tolkien’s favourite holiday town, Bournemouth has had a lot of bad press and faces many social challenges. But the BBC news report covering the morning was outstandingly favourable. Working with the local council was only a positive experience and they were immediately willing to offer another date for a repeat event.
Gathered together in unity
I have long been concerned that such gatherings can dilute the gospel and compromise our witness. This one didn’t. The five Bournemouth churches that gathered were Anglican, Baptist and Free evangelical but we shared a unity in the gospel of Jesus Christ. I heard no one asking what denomination we were. No one asked which church anyone belonged to. We were a thousand believers sharing our love for Jesus Christ and wanting to make that public.
The numbers coming forward for baptism clearly reflected the atmosphere of positive Christian witness that morning created. Sharing our common commitment to the authority of the Bible and the uniqueness of Jesus allowed us to enjoy worship together. There was no compromise, only confidence. And I think that was part of the magnetic attraction of Jesus drawing men and women to be baptised.
A fresh expression
The average age of those being baptised were young adults. Some were from vulnerable backgrounds, with histories of drug and alcohol addiction. Others were young professionals. Has our secular age lost its allure? Perhaps it’s too early to say for sure, but the evidence before my eyes was clear. People have a hunger for God. The gods of secularism have lost their appeal. They offer no meaning, no purpose, no solutions.
We were a thousand believers sharing our love for Jesus Christ and wanting to make that public
Our towns and villages have not benefitted from the decline in church going. Jesus Christ offers true forgiveness and real transformation. From destitution on the streets to dissatisfaction in business, the testimonies of those getting baptised pointed to the same solution: Jesus. Perhaps people are turning to faith because they are looking for answers secular culture cannot give.
Following the BBC coverage and lovely reports in the local newspapers, the recent baptisms have become the talk of the town. Someone commented to me after Sunday: “A quiet revival? I don’t know about that, it all sounded pretty noisy to me!” We have nothing to hide, and I have been encouraged to know that our very public faith needs a very public place to be heard.
I hope this story is only one of many that can be told across our nation in the months to come. Denominations come and go, but the kingdom of God continues to grow. Whether we want to use the word revival or not, it does seem that the atmosphere has changed.
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