Billy Graham Crusade Beats the System With Operation Starting Line

Billy Graham Evangelistic Assn
Thursday, 11 October 2001

Central Valley Crusade Prison Outreach Effects a Life Change for Thousands of Local Inmates

Although Billy Graham has conducted prison outreaches in conjunction with his evangelistic campaigns for many years, the Central Valley Crusade marks the first time he has teamed with one of the nation's largest faith-based prison initiatives -- Operation Starting Line. As a result, more than 27,000 prisoners throughout the Central Valley region will be hearing the Gospel message and experiencing the opportunity to turn their lives around through faith in Jesus Christ.

With outreaches running Oct. 5 through Oct. 14 in nine area facilities, more than 21,000 inmates (a third of the region's prison population) have already attended Operation Starting Line events, of which nearly 4,500 individuals have expressed interest in learning more about or making a decision for Christ. More than a one-time prison event, however, Operation Starting Line aims to achieve long-term results in prisoners' and ex-prisoners' lives through continued mentoring and after-care relationships.

Joe Avila, Prison Fellowship Area Director, believes there is no better way to improve a prisoner's lot. "If we represent God's love and take the Gospel to these men and women behind bars, then we must be willing to stand with them upon their release from prison," he said. "I believe that the Church is the only rehabilitation in prison today -- until we change an inmate's heart, we cannot keep him or her from returning to the old lifestyle."

Operation Starting Line is a collaborative effort of more than a dozen evangelistic ministries working together to present the Gospel message to every inmate in the United States within a five-year period. In addition to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, partnering groups include the Navigators, Campus Crusade for Christ, American Bible Society, and Prison Fellowship Ministries, which provides logistic and planning support.

While these organizations work together to organize, conduct, and supply materials for the events, it is local volunteers in each prison area who do the bulk of the work. These individuals make a commitment to continue their relationships with prisoners who make decisions for Christ during the remainder of their confinement and as they return to their own communities. Of the more than 20,000 volunteers working to make the Central Valley Crusade a success, nearly 750 are participating in the prison outreach and will continue to do so long after the crusade has left the region.

According to Prison Fellowship founder Chuck Colson, who will be speaking at an area prison and at the crusade meeting on Oct. 14, this faith-based and relational approach to prison ministry is the only way to permanently change an inmate's life, thereby reducing recidivism rates and positively affecting the entire prison system.

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