Pastor Julian Kirtisingham joined Leah and Dan on Breakfast to talk about the incredible turn out for the Kingdomcity baptisms on Friday April 3rd. Over 1000 people stepped into the waters of the Swan River. They were baptised in what’s believed to be Australia’s largest baptism event.

A Crowd of Thousands

Church members, spanning multiple generations from every tribe and tongue, signed up to be baptised.

“By the time we got to Friday, there were a few more that stepped in. I had someone walk up to me, whilst I was in the water with our pastors and leaders baptizing. I noticed he wasn’t wearing the shirt. He said, ‘I didn’t sign up. I don’t think God minds.’ I said, ‘We baptise you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit’, and put him under, and pulled him back out, thank God.”

Healing and Breakthrough

A Mandurah woman, who had been diagnosed with heart failure came to get baptised.

“Leading up to this day, she’d been crying out that God would heal her, that she wouldn’t die young. Three days before her baptism and the public declaration of her faith, she went to see her heart specialist. She was declared in good health and the heart failure was gone.

Thousands of people on South Perth Foreshore, watching on and celebrating.

“At the close of the whole thing, we got up and we shared the gospel briefly and gave people an opportunity to give their life to Christ.”

Moved by Worship

Julian shared another testimony of a young lady who had moved over from Brazil to learn English.

“She had heard the sound of worship, and that drew her in, from the other side of the river to where the baptisms were.”

She gave her life to Christ that day.

“We have heard that she went to church on Sunday in our campus in the city. and she was sharing how her parents had been praying that she would find a church, that she would find Christ again. Turns out she almost died last Easter. Thank God he spared her life. And the parents have been praying that she would just come to know Christ.”

Passing By

Julian also said there was a couple in their mid-50s who just came along to check out the event. Once church members invited them to be part of the praise and worship and witness the baptisms, they both gave their lives to Christ.

The Root of Baptism

“The word baptism taken from the root word baptizo – to be fully immersed.”

He explained that going under the waters of baptism is symbolic of us dying with Christ, according to scripture.

“As people emerge out of the waters, it is symbolic of our resurrection with Christ. We don’t just come out of the waters a better person, it’s that the old us is dead. And a new life has begun.”

Julian explained the significance of doing this on Easter weekend, the time we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

“Water baptism is a public declaration of our faith in Jesus Christ.”

Find a Church

Julian concluded with an encouragement for anyone wanting to find a church, to seek out the many great churches in Perth, and of course, speak to the team at Kingdomcity.

Check out the full chat below.