By Nile Hosni —
More than 2,500 were baptized May 17 of Jacksonville, FL — a beach event that was “a lot different than a teen takeover,” the pastor of Church Eleven22 says.
“Theologically speaking, we’re in a season where God is drawing people unto himself,” says Pastor Joby Martin. “I think, sociologically, the enemy overplayed his hand in the early 2020s. I think folks are saying, If that’s what the world has to offer, then they want to go a different way. They want hope, they want love, they want Jesus.
“The upcoming generation is flocking to hear the truth about Jesus.”
Church Eleven22 (from Mark 11:22: Have faith in God) follows the multiple campus model through Northeast Florida and South Georgia. Associated with the Acts 29 Network, the non-denominational, Gospel-centered church has burgeoned since starting in 2012.
Massive beach baptism are happening on both coasts.
“What’s really remarkable about our God is he gets just excited over the one person getting baptized as he does over the 2,500,” Joby says. “Jesus is just the kind of good Shepherd who would leave the 99 and just go after the one.”
He’s referring to Matthew 18:12-14: What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray
Joby once was a pastor of the Beach United Methodist Church. Service started at 11:22.
Then he went independent and moved into a renovated Wallmart Center. Their multiple campuses are in Arlington (Jacksonville), Baymeadows, San Pablo, Orlando and St. Augustine.
In addition to the 2,500 who got baptized, some 14,000 church members were present to cheer them on, Joby says.
The church baptized 1,126 in 2023, 1,614 baptisms in 2024, 1,958 baptisms in 2025.
“In our culture, the middle ground of casual Christianity is going away. There’s not necessarily the sociological benefit of attending church just so that people know that you go to church,” Joby says. “I think the people who are showing up now are very serious about Jesus and taking the next step.”
Related content: Revival in Hollywood, revival after Charlie Kirk‘s assassination, how movie and book sales point to revival. Sources: Fox News.
