Following the Francey family’s mission to ignite revival across California and the nation
When Pastors Mark and Rachelle Francey moved to Southern California from Boise, Idaho five years ago, they started with a dream to plant a church and reach as many people for Christ as possible. Now, they’re seeing that vision come to pass through a movement of beach baptisms starting out of a local church in California and spreading to every major city in the nation.
Though the success of Oceans Church is notable, Mark and Rachelle knew there was more people to reach. So last year on May 28, they launched Baptize SoCal and saw a whopping 4,166 people commit their lives to Christ, symbolized by baptism at Pirates Cove near Newport Beach. Now, on the heels of that success, this weekend, Pentecost Sunday weekend, the Franceys, in collaboration with some of the largest and most influential churches across the state, will launch Baptize California, a collaborative ministry initiative with the goal of baptizing 30,000 simultaneously this weekend across 300 locations, with the flagship event in Huntington Beach, California. The event, if successful will be the largest simultaneous baptism event in known history.
“So our goal was to really do something that would be a uniting event for our entire church in California. In one day, basically at the same time, in California, we’re going to be baptizing at over 300 locations. And our goal is to see 30,000 baptized. That’s what we’re shooting for this year,” explained Francey.
“I do kind of feel that is one of the reasons why God brought us here—to unite the church, to give hope. If God can do this in CA, God can do it in any other state.”
Mark Francey
The expansive vision for Baptize SoCal, Baptize California, and soon to launch Baptize America all started back in 2013 when Mark had a vivid dream that really impacted him.
“I was on a really wide beach like Huntington, and I was talking on a stage. In that dream, I am not exaggerating, but there were legit probably 100,000 – 150,000 people on the beach, people as far as you can see. I was on the stage with my wife, telling people we had moved from Boise, Idaho to start a church,” explained Francey. “It was in this dream that God gave me the name, ‘Oceans Church.’”
And now with thousands of baptisms happening on the coast, the name is taking on a whole new level of meaning and impact.
It’s this dream and a desire to obey God that is driving Francey to organize the single largest simultaneous baptism event in the history of California, the United States, and the world. The Guinness Book of World Records currently records the largest baptism event as 18,272, achieved by Iglesia Ni Cristo, Church of Christ (Philippines) at The Philippine Arena, in Bulacan, Philippines on 7 September 2019. Francey believes they may surpass that this year.
For such a time as this
“I do kind of feel that is one of the reasons why God brought us here—to unite the church, to give hope. If God can do this in California, God can do it in any other state.”
Historically, some of the greatest moves of God in the church have happened in the last 100 years starting in California, recalled Mark in an exclusive interview with THRIVE!. Azusa Street in the early 1900s, the Jesus People Movement, the birth of Calvary Chapel, Vineyard, and Crystal Cathedral all started in California and spread nationwide.
“I think everyone would agree that there seems to be a unanimous agreement that California is just broken, maybe worse than any other state in America,” said Francey, responding to why God is again putting His finger on California.
Taking the vision on the road
And the vision isn’t to stop with California. Francey shared that the two-day event this weekend will culminate with the launch of Baptize America on Sunday night, bringing the power of revival and baptism to every major city across the USA.
“We’re not trying to recreate the Jesus People Movement,” Francey added, “We’re just trying to be obedient.”
“We’re not trying to recreate the Jesus People Movement,” Francey added, “We’re just trying to be obedient.”
Mark and Rachelle believe that their move to California was truly orchestrated by God for His purpose. They have embraced their mission with open hearts, believing that through their efforts, they can inspire a new wave of faith and revival across California and the United States.
Baptize California starts at 3 PM – 7 PM, Saturday and Sunday at Huntington State Beach Tower 15 and features some of the biggest names in Christian worship music today including, Bethel Music, Martin Smith, SEU Worship, Bryan and Kate Torwalt, Sean Feucht, Circuit Riders, among others.
Those interested in getting baptized can register on their website: baptizecalifornia.com or better yet, just show up and see what God can do with a willing heart. The Franceys are living that out now, how about you?
