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Hundreds gather on beach for mass baptisms in sea

News imageBCP Church Collective Two young women and an older man stand waist deep in the sea. The man and one of the women are facing the woman in the centre and have their hands on her shoulders as she looks down towards the water.BCP Church Collective
The baptisms are organised by 14 churches in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

Hundreds of Christians gathered on Bournemouth beach to witness the baptism of 43 people in the sea.

The event, now in its second year, is hosted by 14 churches in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.

In July 2025, 92 were baptised on one morning, with more than 1,300 people gathering to watch.

This year's baptisms are set to take place over two weekends with 1,200 people turning up for the first cohort on Sunday.

News imageBCP Church Collective Hundreds of people stand on Bournemouth beach with Boscombe pier in the backgroundBCP Church Collective
Hundreds of people watched the baptisms from the beach

Tim Matthews, senior leader at Lovechurch in Gervis Road, said: "In a time of such uncertainty, with so much bad news around, the beach baptisms are a sign of great hope for everyone."

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