70,000 Seats Ready for Billy Graham’s Last Crusade in New York Tonight

The last crusade of the veteran American evangelist Billy Graham will kick-off on Friday 24th June evening, the eyes of world’s Christians are turning to the stage in New York. Tens of thousands are also making their way to the city, anticipating a revival in their faith by the passionate preacher’s Gospel messages.

Final preparations are underway at the Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in the Queens section of New York. Some 12,000 churches were contacted, and there are lorry-loads of Bibles to be distributed and hundreds of volunteers standing by, ready to meet new converts. 70,000 seats have been set up and there is also an overflow area for additional crowds.

Choosing the city has a great significance as it is the site where he experienced one of his greatest triumphs. His 1957 rally at the Madison Square Garden was so popular that it had to be extended from six to 16 weeks and projected him as being recognised in the US as a leader of the evangelical movement.

The crusade in New York will last for three days over this weekend from 24th June to 26th June. The 86-year-old Rev Billy Graham, plans to preach 35 minutes on each of three nights, despite of the physical weaknesses from his ailments such as Parkinson's.

His 54-year-old son Franklin, who took over leadership of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BEGA) approximately five years ago, will stand by as a substitute preacher in case of emergency.

As the event is held at one of the world's most diverse neighbourhoods, where over 130 language groups reside closely together, Graham’s sermons will be simultaneously translated into 20 different languages.

Franklin Graham, expressed overwhelming emotions when he confirmed this will be his father’s last crusade, the 417th one, during an interview with the Associated Press prior to the crusade on Thursday.

The day he ends his preaching forever, "will be maybe the saddest day of my life," Franklin Graham said. "This is a chapter that is coming to an end."

Franklin Graham described preaching as the life of his father. He said speaking before a crowd energises Billy Graham despite his ill-heath.

"He was born for this," Franklin Graham said. "When he stands at that pulpit, God created him and I think made him for such a moment. When he's standing at the pulpit, I'm not worried one bit."

Billy Graham has made a direct impact on 210 million people in 185 countries, and millions more through broadcast. Estimated figure shows that some 3.2 million people have pledged their lives to Jesus at Graham events over the last five decades.

Graham served as a spiritual advisor to every U.S. President since Dwight Einsenhower and has been the impetus for several movements, such as the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelism which brought together the historic meeting of evangelical leaders in 1974 and well-known ministries like Christianity Today. Times Magazine called him the "nation's spiritual counsellor."

This weekend's crusade begins at 7:30p.m. local time. On Saturday, the evening programme features the Concert of Hope with special guests Tree 63, Nicole C. Mullen, and Jars of Clay. The entire crusade is free and open to the public.

A group of top British evangelicals and major church leaders, including the Revd Joel Edwards, General Director of the Evangelical Alliance; the Revd Sandy Millar of Holy Trinity Brompton, home to the Alpha Course; Roy Crowne, National Director of British Youth for Christ and many others, all signed a letter in April to invite the world-renowned American evangelist Billy Graham for a mission tour to the UK this autumn.

The Associated Press reported Billy Graham is considering the request, but Franklin Graham said his father, after six decades on the road, no longer adjusts well to time zone changes and does not like to be away from his wife, Ruth, who is also in ill-health.

Billy Graham’s first crusade to the UK was held in London's Harringay arena in 1954, under the sponsorship of the British Evangelical Alliance. The crusade lasted for 12 weeks in addition to many other special events held around London. He also visited London in 1966 and 1967.

The last crusade to the UK was held in 1989. Billy Graham preached from London to more than 800,000 people gathered at 247 "live-link" centres throughout the UK and the Republic of Ireland, and to an astonishing 16,000 sites in 13 nations of Africa.