Denzel Washington Receives Ministerial License, Gets Baptized

Denzel Washington can now add ministry to his long resume.

On Saturday, the Gladiator II star was baptized, received a baptismal certificate as well as a priest’s certificate, which means that he can later be ordained. The event took place at the Kelly Temple Church of God in Christ located in New York City’s Harlem, per Today. First Jurisdiction Church of God in Christ Eastern New York live streamed the service Facebook.

“In a week I’ll be 70. It took a while but I’m here,” said the prolific actor. Washington also thanked his wife, Pauletta Washington.

The two-time Oscar winner has previously been open about his faith and told Esquire last month that while talk of religion in Hollywood is rare, he is unwavering in his decision to share his faith and experiences.

“I’m not afraid. I don’t care what anybody thinks. Look, 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 wrote in an essay disseminated by the magazine.

He continued at the time: “It’s not fashionable. It’s not sexy. But that doesn’t mean people in Hollywood don’t believe. There’s no such thing as Hollywood anyway. What does that even mean? It means to me a street called Hollywood Boulevard. It’s not like we all get together and discuss what we believe in. I don’t know how many people have faith. I mean, there are no church actor meetings, I have been to.”

Forthcoming on Washington’s docket is Spike Lee’s Apple Original Films/A24 project Highest 2 Lowestalong with A$AP Rocky & Ice Spice, as well Black Panther 3his involvement where he accidentally let go.