800 Baptized at Historic Pirate's Cove in Powerful Declaration of Faith
A baptism movement that started three years ago at historic Pirate’s Cove showed no signs of slowing Saturday as hundreds publicly expressed their faith in Christ in the waters of the Pacific Ocean.
More than 800 people were baptized at Pirate's Cove near Newport Beach, Calif. – the same cove where countless people were baptized during the Jesus Movement more than five decades ago, and the same location where the hit movie "Jesus Revolution" was filmed.
It was the fourth year in a row for what has become known as the "Jesus Revolution Baptism," organized by Greg Laurie’s Harvest Christian Fellowship. Just over 9,000 people have been baptized through the event over the past four years.
“It was only a couple weeks ago that Newport Beach made headlines for the chaos, looting, and rioting that took place on Fourth of July,” Laurie wrote on his blog. “Now, instead of rioting, there was worshipping. Instead of chaos, there was celebration. Instead of destruction, there was redemption.”
One of those who was baptized was a 31-year-old man named Troy, who came to the scenic shoreline of Pirate’s Cove to declare his faith in Christ. He said he traveled to Pirate’s Cove to share with the world he wanted to “live a new life, to let go of my old life, and to see through the lens of Christ.”
The turning point in his life, he said, came about two years ago following a frightening accident after a night of binge drinking.
“I hit the lows of my lows,” he told Laurie in a video posted online.
Early that day, Troy had prayed for God to reveal Himself.
“I asked God that day to give me a sign,” he said. “... Well, later that night I went out – classic Friday night. I had a normal night with my friends. Way too much alcohol involved, and ended up on my head. And I had to go to the hospital.”
Troy suffered a concussion.
“And I woke up in the morning. I asked my mom, I said, ‘I want to look at my grandma's Bible.’”
His grandmother had a “very strong faith” and had long prayed for him, he said. She has since passed.
“That was the first time I think I encountered God was when my grandma passed away,” he said. “I prayed – I said, ‘God take her to heaven. That's what she wants,’ and that's when everything got really still.”
Troy felt a sense of peace.
“You'll see her again,” Laurie told him. “Now because of your commitment to Christ – she's not just a part of your past, she's a part of your future.”
The mass baptism event was held one week after the annual Harvest Crusade packed Angel Stadium with tens of thousands of worshipers, drew a combined 280,000 in-person and online, and saw 4,200 make decisions for Christ.
Photo Credit: ©CreditHarvest
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published July 23, 2026.
