Nearly 4,000 people gathered at a western North Carolina lake as hundreds publicly professed their faith in Jesus Christ through baptism.
Biltmore Church in western North Carolina baptized 458 people during its annual outdoor baptism service, marking the largest single-day baptism total in the congregation’s 137-year history.
Nearly 4,000 people attended the Sept. 13 gathering at a lake near Fletcher, North Carolina, according to Lead Pastor Bruce Frank.
The multisite congregation has held the outdoor service annually for roughly two decades, bringing together people from its seven campuses.
Church leaders entered the weekend with slightly more than 400 people registered for baptism, but Frank said another 50 to 60 people responded during Sunday services or at the lake itself.
The 458 baptisms surpassed Biltmore’s previous single-day record of 389 set during last year’s outdoor gathering.
Frank said the church’s emphasis has remained on discipleship rather than simply increasing attendance. Biltmore averages more than 10,000 people across its campuses each week.
The church reported 686 baptisms during 2025. Following this month’s gathering, Biltmore had recorded 636 baptisms so far in 2026 and expects to surpass 700 before the end of the year.
For church leaders, the record-setting number represents individual stories of people publicly identifying with their faith in Christ.
Sources
Baptist State Convention of North Carolina / Biblical Recorder.
