Evangelist Billy Graham Gets Ready for Final New York Crusade

For the three-days of June 24-26, Billy Graham, now 86, will be hosting the seventh and the last Greater New York Billy Graham Crusade, according to Art Bailey of the New York productions team. These crusades are large-scale worship conferences of prayer, praise, and a Bible message. It has been confirmed that Billy Graham, himself will speak at each of the three nights of the Crusade.

"Although one of the most densely populated parts of the world, people are lonely. Although this is one of the richest places is the world, yet this is a place that is poor in spirit," said Art Bailey, Director of the New York Crusade production. "The needs that you find in people's lives across the world are multiplied here just because of the energy of New York. I think many new people will find a new relationship to God and understand how Christ can meet the need in their lives."

Billy Graham has made a direct impact on 210 million people in 185 countries, and millions more through broadcast. He is a major contributor to the growth of evangelicalism. He 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."

It has been nearly 15 years since Billy Graham last visited New York City in 1991, though eldest son, Franklin Graham had been assuming the reigns of the long-time evangelistic ministry in 2000.

The first New York Crusade held in 1957 was the most significant, according to Bailey, after which Graham became a leader of the evangelical movement, demonstrating that no city was "too hard" for him.

New York's Crusade posed several logistical challenges. Because of the large crowd expected, the location was changed late April - just two months before the event - from Madison Square Garden to Flushing Meadows Corona Park, in Queens, reputedly one of the world's most diverse neighborhoods, where over 130 language groups reside closely together.

"Flushing Meadows probably has more languages in that zip code than any one place in the world," said David Epstein, pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in an article by Bob Paulson, editor of Decision Magazine. "I think that's going to be a great symbol of the love of God for the world."

The plus side is the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association will have a chance to follow up with many members of these language groups, and evangelise several "nations."

"Jesus commanded his disciples to go and preach to the ends of the world, and in a sense, we can do that right here in New York," said Bailey.

In addition, the New York Crusade production team must overcome the logistical challenges of planning and holding an event in a city that is populated with around 20 million people, according to 2003 Census Bureau estimates and who are living in a tight space, meaning transportation will be difficult, according to the Director who has been in New York as far back as 2003.

Since 2003, the New York production team has conducted 149 public meetings with churches. The average number of meetings is around 50. Meeting with churches will help them understand what it means to be part of a Crusade, said Bailey.

"The Holy Spirit is stirring people," said Nancy Tedesco, a Crusade volunteer, who immediately got involved when she found out that the Crusade was coming to her city, something that she had been praying for, for two years, according to Paulson's Decision article.

It seems many have been praying for the Crusade. In the same article, David Ireland, pastor at Christ Church, in Verona, N.J., said his church is just one of many, praying every Wednesday night for the Crusade, while more than 100 intercessors pray daily.

"There is sin plenty here in New York, but there is a Savior that is able to deliver us and that will be evident," said Bailey. "It's one of the places that God would want to begin a movement."

And people are praying for just that.

"Thousands of New Yorkers are expected to participate in 'Pray New York!' on June 4," wrote Paulson. "Participants will pray for the city as they walk the streets and distribute invitations to the Billy Graham Crusade."

After the New York Crusade, Billy Graham will decide whether a crusade will come to the UK after a group of top British evangelicals and major church leaders signed a letter to invite the world-renowned evangelist for a mission tour.

The UK event would be billed as a "Tribute to the Gospel" and an "Endorsement of its integrity" from an elder statesman, and as a call to the nation to decide to follow Christ.

Dr 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.

Dr Billy Graham is now considering coming in November, however the visit may also be delayed until next spring.






Rhoda Tse
Christian Today Correspondent