Around 40 years ago, Denzel Washington approached the altar at West Angeles church to be saved. It was a practice he had seen throughout his life, but he had never ventured to the front of a church to participate in until then. It proved to be a pivotal experience for the actor, who received his minister license following a baptism ceremony this past weekend.
“In one week I turn 70. It took a while but I’m here,” Washington shared at the ceremony, which was held at New York’s Kelly Temple Church of God in Christ in Harlem. ‘If [God] can do this for me, there’s nothing He can’t do for you.
The sky literally is the limit.” During the ceremony, which was streamed in part on Facebook Live , Washington was presented with a separate certificate for his baptism in addition to his ministry license, which will allow him to be ordained and helm spiritual services following his training period. “Man gives the award, God gives the reward.
That’s what my mother told me the eighth or ninth time I lost an Academy Award,” Washington said. “Fifty years ago, as we speak, actually — I turn 70 next week — I was 20 when I sat in my mother’s beauty parlor and Ms. Ruth Green was known to have the gift of prophecy.
She said, ‘Boy, you are going to travel the world and preach to millions of people.’ She didn’t say, You’re going to get back in school.’ She didn’t say, ‘You’re going to become an Academy Award [winner].
’ She didn’t say any of those thing.
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