Denzel Washington Receives Minister License Following Baptism Ceremony

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 things. She said, ‘You’re going to travel the world and preach to millions of people.'”

The actor also praised the support of his wife, Pauletta Washington, who delivered a brief speech of her own. “Forty-six years later, here I’m still standing next to him as only God will have it,” she said. “So I’m very proud of you. You are the head of our house and you have set a great example for our children, who are now adult children who know the difference because we have shown them the difference.”

Last month, Esquire published a sprawling as-told-to essay featuring Washington that detailed his faith. He noted that it has “always informed the roles” he chooses while navigating Hollywood, many of which have religious undertones. “When you see me, you see the best I could do with what I’ve been given by my lord and savior,” he said. “I’m unafraid. I don’t care what anyone thinks. See, talking about the fear part of it — you can’t talk like that and win Oscars. You can’t talk like that and party. You can’t say that in this town.”

He continued: “I’m free now. It’s not talked about in this town. It’s not talked about. It’s not talked about. It’s not fashionable. It’s not sexy. But that doesn’t mean people in Hollywood don’t believe. There’s no such thing called Hollywood anyway. What does that even mean? That to me means a street called Hollywood Boulevard. It’s not like we all meet somewhere and discuss what we believe. So I don’t know how many other actors have faith. I didn’t do no poll. How would I find that out? I mean, there’s no Church Actor Meetings I’ve been to.”