World's Fruitbasket Reaps New Harvest

Billy Graham Evangelistic Assn
Monday, 15 October 2001

Central Valley Billy Graham Crusade Breaks Stadium Attendance Record; Thousands Respond to Evangelist's Message

FRESNO, Calif., Oct. 15, 2001 -- In one of the most culturally diverse and agriculturally plentiful regions in the nation, the four-day Central Valley Billy Graham Crusade, ending last night, reaped a record harvest amidst the questioning and searching experienced by individuals throughout the country in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

"We are living in a different world, which will be felt in every area of our society for years to come," Mr. Graham said. "We are in troubled and difficult times. We're going to have to rethink our lives. But in the midst of all that, there is one hope, that Jesus Christ said he is coming again. Without hope, our nation will not go on."

Crusade Chair Bud Richter paralleled this outreach with that of the nation's war against terrorism. "Just as our country is attacking Afghanistan, we are attacking Satan and winning souls in the Central Valley right now," he said. "We believe it is God's will that Billy Graham is here in Fresno at this specific moment in history for our nation and our world."

The meetings were held at Bulldog Stadium, home of the eighth-ranked NCAA Fresno State Bulldogs football team. Audiences averaged more than 46,000 in the 42,000-seat stadium each night, of which an average of more than 3,310 came forward to make a commitment to Christ. The Saturday evening crowd of 62,000 shattered the stadium attendance record.

Fresno Mayor Alan Autry welcomed Mr. Graham to the area from the platform at the opening meeting. "We're in one of the most difficult times in the history of our nation, and the Gospel message has never been more wanted or needed by this country," Mayor Autry said, stressing unprecedented security measures put in place by the campus and city to ensure the safety of the crowds.

Despite breaking his foot in three places two days before the Crusade began, Mr. Graham preached while standing and seemed to get stronger every night. His messages throughout the week focused on God's love and forgiveness, often referencing the attacks on our nation and the resulting uncertainty.

"Something about what happened on Sept. 11 caused people to think about spiritual things for maybe the first time in years," Mr. Graham said. "The greatest need in the world is the transformation of human nature. A radical change is needed by everyone to find complete fulfillment in this life and to be acceptable to God in the future life."

Church Unity, Multicultural Effort

More than 500 churches representing 54 denominations from throughout the Central Valley built on a decade of unity during the year-long preparations. According to Crusade Director Scott Lenning, many of the pastors from diverse backgrounds already knew each other. "They had a history of where they were coming from and a vision of where they wanted to go, and this Crusade was a link between the two."

Often referred to as "The Ellis Island of the 80s and 90s," the Central Valley is becoming the America of the future. More people per capita from other cultures are migrating here, 40 percent of whom are Hispanic- or Latin-American. The Fresno Unified School District reports enrollment of students speaking more than 100 different languages. Crusade leadership made a significant effort to invite and include everyone, providing translation in 11 languages and counseling in 12. Many of the musical artists sang in both English and Spanish.

Extended Impact

The Central Valley also has one of the largest prison populations in the world, with five percent of the total U.S. inmates housed within a 90-minute drive of Fresno, Calif. The Operation Starting Line prison outreach conducted in conjunction with the Crusade/Mission resulted in a presentation of the Gospel to more than one-half of the 49,000 prisoners in eleven facilities, of whom 4,460 made commitments to Christ. Over 500 area volunteers will continue long-term ministry through 32 follow-up meetings, including seminars, yard events, and Bible studies. A group of 200 juvenile offenders from local facilities attended Saturday evening's youth event, with 100 percent making either a first-time decision for Christ, a rededication, or a commitment to future ministry. Two guards attending with the teens also made faith commitments.

Prison Fellowship founder Chuck Colson, who spoke at the Sunday evening meeting following a prison event that morning, said that he's seeing a new responsiveness to the Gospel both inside and outside of prison walls following Sept. 11. "Inmates are hungry. Inmates in prisons are like the whole country is today. They are aware of sin and evil and they are searching for answers."

Through the "Bless the Children of our Valley" project, the Crusade's Love-in-Action committee provided backpacks filled with necessary school and hygiene supplies to meet the physical needs of area children. Rather than working through area shelters, churches chose to distribute more than 6,000 backpacks directly to needy families by the beginning of the school year.

Mission Milestone

Saturday evening's audience reached the one million mark in attendance for the Concerts for the NeXt Generation, through 18 events over eight years. Artists dc talk and Kirk Franklin were joined by local Latino favorite Gamaliel Ruiz, who performed before one of the most diverse and responsive Crusade youth audiences in recent years.

Future Ministry

Mr. Graham's next scheduled evangelistic outreach is the Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Billy Graham Mission, to be held June 27-30, 2002, at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati.

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