Franklin Graham Announces Brazos Valley Festival 2002

Billy Graham Evangelistic Assn
Thursday, 6 September 2001

Festival Will Be Held at Texas A&M University's Reed Arena, May 2-5, 2002

COLLEGE STATION, Texas, Sept. 6, 2001 -– The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) announced today that Franklin Graham, along with local church and civic leaders, will hold the Brazos Valley Festival 2002 at Texas A&M University's Reed Arena, May 2-5, 2002.

"I look forward to bringing God's message to the Brazos Valley," said Graham, who recently accepted local church leaders' invitation to lead the Festival. "People will hear high-energy music from award-winning artists, personal testimonies, and most importantly, an opportunity to accept a challenge that will change their life."

More than 200 clergy and church leaders from the Greater Brazos Valley area attended the Festival 2002 announcement meeting, Thursday, September 6, at Reed Arena. Dr. Bill Magee was named chairman of the General Festival Committee and will oversee the nine-month Festival preparation process.

"Churches in the Brazos Valley are excited about partnering together for the upcoming Franklin Graham Festival," said Larry T. Hall, Pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Bryan. "I hope that this event lays the groundwork for future area-wide collaborations."

The General Festival Committee, comprised of local volunteers from the Greater Brazos Valley area, will assist in the planning and operation of the Brazos Valley Festival 2002. For the last several months, Texas pastors and church leaders have urged Franklin Graham to conduct a Festival in their region.

All Festival programs will be open to the public and free of charge.

Since 1989, Franklin Graham has volunteered 10 percent of his time as an evangelist for the BGEA. Last year, Graham was appointed CEO of the organization and continues to travel the world as president of the international Christian relief organization Samaritan's Purse.

Earlier this year, Graham, 49, conducted festivals in San Pedro Sula, Honduras; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Tallahassee, Fla.; and Spartanburg, S.C. drawing crowds exceeding 370,000. Graham will hold a festival in Recife, Brazil, September 27-29, 2001.

For more information, or to contact Billy Graham Evangelistic Assn, see their website at: www.billygraham.org