376 Baptized at First-Ever Church Services in UNC’s Dean Dome

A Gathering Unlike Any Before

CHAPEL HILL, NC. (Sept. 24, 2025)—In a bold and unprecedented move, The Summit Church transformed UNC’s Dean Dome into a worship center on September 21, baptizing 376 people in a single day and drawing thousands of worshipers to what is believed to be the first-ever church services held in the iconic arena.

The Summit Church led two identical worship services in the morning and afternoon, aiming to unite its many campuses in a single, historic gathering. The venue—frequently used for basketball, concerts, and sporting events—had never before hosted a church service. Crosswalk cites the Biblical Recorder as confirming it “was the first time a church had held a service” there.

Pastor J.D. Greear delivered the message at both services, presenting the plan of salvation and calling attendees to respond spiritually. Hundreds stepped forward to meet with counselors, and 376 were baptized in portable troughs just outside the arena under clear skies.

“All your life has felt like a quest to find some missing piece… You spent your whole life loving things that just didn't love you back. What you're looking for is found in the resurrection.”

Greear also quoted Augustine, reminding the crowd, “Our hearts will always be restless until they find their rest in You.”

In an Instagram post, The Summit Church wrote, “Heaven is rejoicing and so are we! … lives were forever changed.”

Moments of Breakthrough

• Number baptized: 376 individuals responded in faith and were baptized.
• Location: The Dean E. Smith Center (Dean Dome), UNC campus — first time used for church services.
• Church behind the event: The Summit Church, led by J.D. Greear, with a church-wide “Church at the Dome” initiative.
• Service structure: Two identical services (10 a.m. and 3 p.m.) to gather all campuses in one place.
• Counseling and response: After Greear’s message, hundreds met with counselors to make spiritual commitments.
• Venue symbolism: Baptisms took place near the arena, under championship banners and even near the retired jersey of basketball legend Michael Jordan.

Ahead of the event, Biblical Recorder (via NC Baptist press) had announced plans for the service, noting the expected turnout of up to 15,000 per gathering and emphasizing the significance of uniting multiple Summit campuses under one roof. In that announcement, Greear remarked, “To see 15,000 people at each service worshiping Jesus together… these are the kinds of moments that give people a sense they’re part of something historic that God is doing.”

Why This Matters: Revival, Baptism, & Campus Ministry

This event resonates on several fronts. First, it’s a striking example of Christian revival news breaking barriers—turning a secular venue into sacred space and symbolizing the message that the Gospel transcends traditional Sunday-worship settings. Second, it highlights the power of baptisms as public declarations of new life in Christ, especially in a visible, symbolic context. Third, it underscores the potential of campus ministry: reaching students and the broader university community by reclaiming prominent venues for spiritual purposes.

From a Christian perspective, this reminds us of Acts 2:41, where “about three thousand were added to their number that day” (NIV). Just as early believers gathered in large public settings, the Church today is reclaiming visible ground for Jesus—even arenas.

Witnesses to God's Move

A participant shared the sense of momentum: “I felt like something supernatural was happening—hundreds walking forward, worship filling the dome… God moved in hearts.” (participant testimony, via social post)

Pastor Greear emphasized that Christianity is not “just a new worldview … it’s the power of an empty tomb” urging people to step forward even amid shame, addiction or guilt.

In planning, The Summit’s communications department framed it as more than a spectacle—they called it a spiritual milestone, uniting campuses, celebrating baptisms, and testifying to God’s transformative power in a place where competition and spectacle usually reign.

Carrying Revival Forward

The “Church at the Dome” was more than a gathering—it was a bold claim that Jesus’ name belongs in every space, even those traditionally reserved for secular spectacles. Hundreds responded. Lives were baptized. A city saw the Church take ground. And a message went out: revival still moves when we dare to reimagine what’s possible.

From revivals like this one to citywide gatherings like the upcoming AWAKE Boston rally on October 24–25, 2025, believers are seeing revival wash over America.

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