More than 6,000 people baptized in California this weekend; God works among tragedy in Texas church; Collegiate ministry event inspires leaders

Good News for Today

A cross-denominational belief in believers’ baptism allowed Southern Baptist pastor Mark Brown and Pentecostal pastor Mark Francey to collaborate in sponsoring Baptize California, a statewide event that baptized more than 6,000 believers May 18-19.

The Pentecost Sunday weekend event chiefly sponsored by Francey’s multisite Oceans Church in Orange County and supported by Brown’s 14-campus Sandals Church in Southern California drew support and participation from 300 churches across the state, according to BaptizeCalifornia.com.

Baptize California was the largest baptism in the state’s history, Brown said, exceeding the May 2023 BaptizeSoCal sponsored by Oceans Church, and the July 2023 Pirates Cove baptism sponsored by Harvest Church, Greg Laurie’s pastorate.

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They can laugh now, three years after the fire that destroyed their youth building, about things like the name of the ministry: Ignite.

“We’ve since rebranded,” said Phil Spann, the longtime student minister at Southside Baptist Church in Paris, Texas.

Despite the challenges from losing a facility, Spann says God has been faithful.

The results are more than just increased participation. Southside has seen a harvest. The recent fruit of the student ministry includes salvations and baptisms. During the last two years, the church has celebrated more than 60 baptisms. Norris said they’ve been predominantly children and youth. He rejoices in the 34 decisions for Christ made at camp two years ago, and a similar number last summer.

Spann knows the Southside youth ministry has lived through an example of his favorite Scripture passage, Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

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Cole Rogers said he picked up numerous new ideas during the 2024 Collegiate Leadership Summit last week near Memphis, Tennessee.

But Rogers, collegiate ministry specialist at Belmont University, said that wasn’t his biggest take-away from the three-day event.

Instead, Rogers said that being reminded that college ministry is about “being centered on prayer more than trying to plan things and get down all the details” is what had the biggest impact on him during the event, which was held this year at First Baptist Church, Collierville.

The Collegiate Leadership Summit, held every three years, is sponsored byBaptist Collegiate Network — an organization of state convention collegiate leaders.

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