Washington, who turns 70 next week, has been candid about his faith over the years.
By Francesca Gariano
Denzel Washington celebrated a milestone in his faith journey over the weekend.
The “Gladiator II” star, 69, was baptized on Saturday, Dec. 21 at Kelly Temple Church of God in Christ located in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City.
The First Jurisdiction Church of God in Christ Eastern New York livestreamed the service on Facebook, including the special moment he was baptized and later received his certificate of baptism. During the service, Washington was also presented with a minister license, which will allow him to be ordained in the future.
When he was handed the microphone to reflect on the momentous occasion, Washington acknowledged officially claiming his faith community at his age.
“In one week, I turn 70,” he said. “It took a while, but I’m here.”
Later in the service, the actor recalled a story from when he was 20 and was sitting in his mom’s beauty parlor when he encountered a woman named Ruth Green.
“She said, ‘Boy, you are going to travel the world and preach to millions of people,’” he recalled. “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.”
Washington then expressed his gratitude for his “loving, faithful wife,” Pauletta Washington, who was there supporting him from the congregation.
“To God be the glory. Hallelujah!” he continued. “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.”
Washington previously opened about his faith in a November essay for Esquire, reflecting on how he grew up going to church but after witnessing altar calls and “people being saved,” he “didn’t really know” what was happening when he was young.
He described the “biggest moment” of his life happening at the West Angeles Church of God in Christ in Los Angeles, which he was turned onto by actor and director Robert Townsend.
“Things I said about God when I was a little boy, just reciting them in church along with everybody else, I know now,” he said in the essay. “God is real. God is love. God is the only way. God is the true way. God blesses.”
He added, “It’s my job to lift God up, to give Him praise, to make sure that anyone and everyone I speak to the rest of my life understands that He is responsible for me.”
Washington added that he was “unafraid” of the public’s reaction to his faith, adding, “I don’t care what anyone thinks.”
“See, talking about the fear part of it—you can’t talk like that and win Oscars,” he said at the time. “You can’t talk like that and party. You can’t say that in this town.”
First published on Dec. 22, 2024
Francesca Gariano is a New York City-based freelance journalist reporting on culture, entertainment, beauty, lifestyle, and wellness. She is a freelance contributor to TODAY.com, where she covers pop culture and breaking news.
