Actor Denzel Washington, 69, was baptized and ordained as a minister at the Kelly Temple Church of God in Christ in Harlem on December 21, 2024, just days before his 70th birthday. The Oscar winner received his minister’s license, allowing him to officially join the clergy and pursue further, future ordination.
- Ceremony Location: The event took place at the Kelly Temple Church of God in Christ in New York City, which was live-streamed on Facebook by the First Jurisdiction Church of God in Christ Eastern New York.
- Significance: Washington, who turns 70 on December 28, 2024, described the moment by saying, “It took a while, but I’m here,” notes this YouTube video.
- Faith Journey: During the service, Washington reflected on his spiritual journey, mentioning a 50-year-old prophecy that predicted he would preach to millions.
- Family Support: His wife, Pauletta Washington, was in attendance, expressing pride in his commitment, according to People.com.
- Context: The actor has previously discussed his faith and, as reported by E! News, noted that his late mother told him that while “man gives the award, God gives the reward”.
Denzel Washington, the Oscar-winning actor, has taken a significant spiritual step by being baptized just before his 70th birthday. The ceremony, held at the Kelly Temple Church of God in Christ in Harlem, New York, took place on Saturday. The church, part of the Pentecostal Church of God in Christ denomination, livestreamed the event on Facebook, showing Washington, dressed in a white robe, being immersed in the church’s baptismal pool and receiving a baptism certificate.
Reflecting on his upcoming milestone birthday on December 28, Washington told the congregation, “It took a while, but I’m here.” He also shared a pivotal memory from his youth, recalling a conversation with a woman named Ruth Green at his mother’s beauty salon when he was 20. She prophetically told him, “Boy, you are going to travel the world and preach to millions of people.”
Later in the service, Washington was presented with a minister’s license, which grants him the authority to officiate at religious ceremonies such as weddings and potentially be ordained in the future.
In a November interview with *Esquire*, Washington opened up about his spiritual journey, recounting a transformative moment in the early 1980s during a church service in Los Angeles. “It felt like I was getting lifted up… I can’t exactly describe it. I was blabbering, filled with the Holy Spirit,” he shared.
Washington also spoke about the challenges of expressing his faith in Hollywood, where such topics are often not openly discussed. “You can’t talk like that and win Oscars. You can’t talk like that and party. It’s not fashionable. It’s not sexy. But that doesn’t mean people in Hollywood don’t believe,” he said.