'To God Be the Glory': Denzel Washington Gets Baptized, Receives Minister's License
Actor Denzel Washington took a major step in his walk with the Lord over the weekend, getting baptized and receiving his minister's license.
The "Gladiator II" star participated in a water baptism at the Kelly Temple Church of God in Christ in Harlem, NY on Saturday, conducted by Archbishop Christopher Bryant.
Bryant shared that Washington attended the church as a young child and was "filled with the Holy Spirit after visiting another church with actor Robert Townsend in the 80's."
The First Jurisdiction Church of God in Christ Eastern New York livestreamed the special moment on Facebook.
The Academy Award-winning actor received a certificate of baptism and his minister's license, which will allow him to become ordained in the future, TODAY reports.
"We celebrate the addition of Minister Denzel Washington into the clergy, having received his minister's license in the Church of God in Christ today, in a truly uplifting moment," read a Facebook post by Bryant.
Washington took a moment during the service to reflect on the milestone.
"In one week I turn 70," he said. "It took a while, but I'm here."
Washington later shared how his baptism fulfilled a "prophecy." He recalled the words of a woman named Ruth Green, whom he met at his mom's beauty parlor when he was 20 years old.
"She said, 'Boy, you are going to travel the world and preach to millions of people,'" he said. "She wouldn't even spell the word prophecy. My mother wrote the word prophecy...50 years later, look at God. If He can do this for me, there's nothing He can't do for you. The sky literally is the limit and there's no limit to the sky."
He also thanked his "loving, faithful wife" of 41 years, Pauletta Washington, who was in the congregation supporting him.
"To God be the glory. Hallelujah!" he told the congregation. "Anything I can do, I will do for this church, the Almighty. I just want to be in that number when the saints go marching in."
As CBN News has reported, Washington has become outspoken about his Christian faith over the last several years.
He previously shared that he gave his life to God several times early in life. He even had a supernatural encounter with the Holy Spirit, but it took a while before he understood the weight of his decision.
"Three times...I think we all go through that," he said. "I was filled with the Holy Ghost and it scared me. I didn't want to go this deep...I wanted to party. It was a supernatural, once-in-a-lifetime experience that I couldn't completely understand at the time."
As CBN News recently reported, the 69-year-old recently shared a supernatural story with reporters during a press tour for the "Gladiator II" film.
He recalled a divine encounter he had one day during his devotional time.
"I was sitting on a yacht listening to a song called 'The Face of God.' And nobody was up. I was in my prayer and meditation, reading my Bible. And I'm like 'Lord, everybody can see Your face, I wanna see it...' And while I said it, when I said, 'I wanna see your face,' I heard, 'Look to your left.'"
"So I look to my left, and I look and I picked up my phone and I went {makes clicking sound}. And this is what I saw," he said while handing his phone to the interviewer.
The photo on the phone showed a face in the sky. The shape of a mouth, a nose, and eyes are visible among the clouds.
Washington reiterated to the interviewer his purpose in life has little to do with making movies, but rather "to be an example, of the power, and wisdom, and grace, and mercy of God in my life."
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EDITOR'S NOTE: In reporting about the faith and family journeys of high-profile individuals, CBN does not endorse past or current behavior as well as films and TV programs that may not line up with the Word of God. We are simply reporting positive developments in their lives. As always, we encourage our readers to pray for anyone and everyone in the news, that the knowledge of God would grow in all of our lives.
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