Southern California Sees Jesus Revolution Baptisms Surge

A repeat of the Jesus movement of the early 1970s may be beginning in Southern California. Thousands of people recently have been baptized at Pirates Cove in Newport Beach.

“We had an incredible day yesterday at the third annal Jesus Revolution baptism,” said Greg Laurie, senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship. “We baptized 2,100 people in a single day. Can you believe that? Add that number to the last two years, and in just three years we’ve baptized 8,600 people.”

Laurie, whose personal testimony was featured in the movie “Jesus Revolution,” said some elements of the ongoing revival taking place surpass the spiritual awakening of the 1960s and 1970s. “Even during the days of the original Jesus Revolution, we never saw anything quite like this,” he said. “God is at work, and I believe these are what I would call signs of revival.”

Earlier this summer, Laurie held his annual Harvest Crusade, where thousands of people gave their lives to Jesus during the special event held at Angel Stadium in Anaheim. More than 45,000 people filled the stadium, while another 200,000 watched online. By the end of the night, more than 6,500 people had made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ. In February, he reported on a surprising moment when more than 300 people came forward to commit their lives to Christ after during a regular church service at his Riverside campus.

Laurie, who founded Harvest Christian Fellowship in 1973 and now oversees its four campuses in California and Hawaii, said, “I have to tell you, God is moving.”

CBN is releasing a new movie, “The Revival Generation,” on August 27 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. It will be available on DVD and streaming on CBN Family after the premiere. For more information, visit The Revival Generation: Gen Z Turning to Jesus | CBN.

–Alan Goforth