Billy Graham Accepts Invitation to Hold October 2002 Mission at Texas Stadium

Billy Graham Evangelistic Assn
Thursday, 20 December 2001

Evangelist Announces First DFW Metroplex Outreach in More than 30 Years

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) today announced Mr. Graham's decision to accept an invitation from the churches of the Dallas-Ft. Worth area to hold an evangelistic mission in the Metroplex, Oct. 17-20, at Texas Stadium -- the same facility he opened in the fall of 1971 before it was fully completed, with a 10-day crusade that was the first event held there.

"The Metroplex has grown and changed so much since we were last there in 1971, that I believe the time is right to conduct another evangelistic emphasis there to reach a new generation, and indeed many new 'Texans,' with the Gospel message," Mr. Graham said.

An "Announcement Celebration" for Metroplex Mission with Billy Graham will be held for church and community representatives from a 50-mile radius of Dallas and Fort Worth at Texas Stadium on Jan. 24. While the evangelist himself is not expected to attend the event, mission organizers and representatives from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association will be on hand to convey Mr. Graham's greeting and remarks, introduce mission leadership, and encourage participation in the 10 months of preparation for the outreach.

Mr. Graham has been prayerfully considering the invitation for this mission since it was extended during his most recent mission in Fresno, Calif., in early October by several area pastors representing a coalition of inter-denominational clergy and community leaders who have been working together for nearly two years to generate cooperative and financial support. The evangelist will preach at each of the four evening meetings, health permitting. It is expected that more than 500 churches, representing 50 denominations will eventually come together, mobilizing 20,000 volunteers for this outreach.

BGEA Vice President for Crusades Larry Turner said, "Although Dallas and Fort Worth are traditional 'Bible Belt' cities, Mr. Graham felt compelled to accept the invitation to conduct this mission because of a new spiritual search that is occurring -- not only in North Texas, but across the nation."

"During the three months since the attacks on New York and Washington, there has been an unprecedented search for purpose and meaning in our troubled world," Mr. Graham said. "This is especially true in a large metropolitan community such as Dallas-Ft. Worth, which is a leading area in our country today and will be on into the future."

Dr. Gary Hearon, Executive Director of the Dallas Baptist Association, is serving as Chair of the Mission Nominating Committee, and expresses his excitement that Mr. Graham will be conducting an outreach in the Metroplex. "We've been praying and working toward this end for two years now, and words cannot express my excitement and gratitude to God. This is the answer to the cumulative prayers of many people, and we believe that the time is right and God has prepared the hearts of people in this area to receive the Gospel message from Billy Graham."

Mr. Graham's most recent Texas outreach was the 1997 South Texas Crusade, held in San Antonio, April 3-6, and attended by more than 247,000, of which nearly 23,000 made decisions for Christ. His last mission in the Metroplex, the 1971 event at Texas Stadium, was held Sept. 17-26 and attended by more than 456,000, of which nearly 13,000 made commitments to Christ.

The last missions conducted by Mr. Graham in Dallas or Fort Worth prior to the 1971 event were in 1953 in Dallas, and in 1951 in Fort Worth. Other Texas outreaches include Houston in 1981, Lubbock in 1975, San Antonio in 1968, Houston in 1965, El Paso in 1962, San Antonio in 1958, and Houston in 1952.

Mr. Graham's ties to the Dallas-Ft. Worth area remain strong, as he has been a frequent guest speaker at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, where he has been named an honorary member of the school's advisory council. Mr. Graham has also retained his church membership at First Baptist Church in Dallas since the early 1950s, and he numbers many Metroplex residents among his close personal and ministry friends. These include the now-deceased Dr. B. Clayton Bell, Mr. Graham's brother-in-law and longtime Senior Minister at Highland Park Presbyterian Church.

The Metroplex Mission with Billy Graham will be his second evangelistic outreach of 2002, with meetings scheduled for June 27-30 at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, as announced earlier this year. Mr. Graham's 2001 missions included the Greater Louisville Billy Graham Crusade in Louisville, Ky., June 21-24, and the Central Valley Billy Graham Crusade in Fresno, Calif., Oct. 11-14.

The "Announcement Celebration" for the Metroplex Mission with Billy Graham, scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 24, at the Stadium Club at Texas Stadium, will begin with coffee at 9:30 a.m. The event is expected to run from 10-11:30 a.m., and the media are invited to attend.

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