Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
Mission
CRUSADE EVANGELISM AND MY HOPE: WE BELIEVE THAT THE MINISTRY OF EVANGELISM (SHARING AND PROCLAIMING THE MESSAGE OF SALVATION ONLY POSSIBLE BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST) AND DISCIPLESHIP (HELPING FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST GROW UP INTO MATURITY IN CHRIST) IS A RESPONSIBILITY OF ALL FOLLOWERS OF JESUS CHRIST. (MATTHEW 28:18-20; ACTS 1:8; ROMANS 10:9-15; 1 PETER 3:15) ACCORDINGLY, BGEA'S CRUSADES AND MY HOPE MINISTRIES BEGIN WITH BELIEVERS WHO ARE BURDENED FOR THE SALVATION OF THEIR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS. IN CRUSADES, WE PARTNER WITH LOCAL CHURCHES FOR MONTHS OF PRAYER, PLANNING, AND TRAINING LEADING UP TO THE MULTI-DAY EVANGELISTIC OUTREACH EVENTS CALLED FESTIVALS OR CELEBRATIONS, TYPICALLY HELD IN A STADIUM, ARENA, OR PARK. EACH EVENT FEATURES PROCLAMATIONS OF THE GOSPEL, COUPLED WITH ENERGETIC AND INSPIRATIONAL MUSIC. AFTERWARD, BGEA ASSISTS PARTICIPATING CHURCHES IN FOLLOW-UP WITH THOSE WHO MADE COMMITMENTS TO CHRIST. DURING 2014, FRANKLIN GRAHAM RESPONDED TO INVITATIONS FROM LOCAL CHURCHES BY HOLDING FESTIVALS IN EL PASO, TEXAS; SAPPORO, JAPAN; TBILISI, GEORGIA; WARSAW, POLAND; PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA; TORONTO, ONTARIO; AND ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA. AFTER MONTHS OF PREPARATION IN EACH CITY BY THE FESTIVAL TEAM AND LOCAL CHRISTIANS, MORE THAN 159,200 ATTENDEES HEARD THE GOOD NEWS THROUGH THESE OUTREACHES, AND OVER 8,900 OF THEM RESPONDED BY PUBLICLY COMMITTING THEIR LIVES TO JESUS CHRIST. FROM THE OUTBACK OF AUSTRALIA TO THE REMOTE MOUNTAINS OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA AND THE FAR CORNERS OF ASIA, WILL GRAHAM - THE THIRD GENERATION OF THE GRAHAM FAMILY TO PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL UNDER THE BGEA BANNER - CONDUCTED NUMEROUS EVANGELISTIC EVENTS IN 2014. ALL TOLD, MORE THAN 84,000 PEOPLE ATTENDED WILL'S CELEBRATIONS, WHILE MORE THAN 10,500 OF THEM OPENLY RESPONDED BY SURRENDERING THEIR LIVES TO CHRIST. BGEA ASSOCIATE EVANGELIST ROBERT CUNVILLE SPENT MUCH OF 2014 TIRELESSLY PREACHING THE GOSPEL ACROSS INDIA. AN ESTIMATED 121,800 PEOPLE HEARD THE MESSAGE OF SALVATION THROUGH CHRIST DURING THE YEAR AT ROBERT'S 12 FESTIVALS OF PEACE. OVER 8,340 OF THEM MADE LIFE-CHANGING COMMITMENTS TO CHRIST. THE BILLY GRAHAM EVANGELISTIC ASSOCIATION PLACES GREAT IMPORTANCE ON DISCIPLESHIP AFTER THE MOMENT A PERSON MAKES A DECISION FOR CHRIST. JESUS SAID "ALL AUTHORITY IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME. THEREFORE GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS, BAPTIZING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND TEACHING THEM TO OBEY EVERYTHING I HAVE COMMANDED YOU. AND SURELY I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, TO THE VERY END OF THE AGE." (MATTHEW 28:18-20) FOR MORE THAN 55 YEARS, WE HAVE USED THE CHRISTIAN LIFE AND WITNESS COURSE TO TRAIN AND EQUIP CHRISTIANS TO SERVE AS COUNSELORS BY HELPING THEM GROW IN THEIR FAITH, LEARN TO SHARE IT WITH OTHERS, AND MAKE DISCIPLES THEMSELVES. DURING 2014, THESE COURSES WERE HELD DOMESTICALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY IN EIGHT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. MORE THAN 18,000 INDIVIDUALS COMPLETED THE TRAINING. MY HOPE IS AN INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVE THAT ENCOURAGES AND EQUIPS LOCAL CHURCHES AROUND THE WORLD TO PROCLAIM THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. "...ALWAYS BE PREPARED TO GIVE AN ANSWER TO EVERYONE WHO ASKS YOU TO GIVE THE REASON FOR THE HOPE THAT YOU HAVE..." (I PETER 3:15) EACH YEAR, BGEA PRODUCES SHORT FILMS THAT CONGREGATIONS USE TO DRAW LARGE NUMBERS OF FRIENDS, FAMILY MEMBERS, AND NEIGHBORS TO HEAR THE GOSPEL. IN 2014, MY HOPE TOOK PLACE FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR IN THE UNITED STATES AND WAS INITIATED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. AS EASTER APPROACHED, CHURCHES IN THE U.S. WERE ENCOURAGED TO UTILIZE THE APTLY THEMED FILM THE CROSS, WHICH HAD BEEN RELEASED THE YEAR BEFORE, REACHING MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WITH THE GOSPEL. MORE THAN 18,000 PROGRAM DVDS WERE DISTRIBUTED IN THE WEEKS LEADING UP TO THE EASTER WEEKEND. THROUGH THE MY HOPE WEBSITE, PHONE CENTER, AND FIELD REPRESENTATIVES, MORE THAN 800 FIRST-TIME DECISIONS FOR CHRIST WERE DOCUMENTED. DURING THE FIRST SEVERAL MONTHS OF THE YEAR, THE FILM FEATURING BILLY GRAHAM'S NEWEST MESSAGE, TITLED HEAVEN, WAS PRODUCED AND PREPARED FOR RELEASE IN THE FALL. EIGHTY-FIVE MY HOPE FIELD REPRESENTATIVES CHALLENGED CHURCHES ACROSS THE U.S. TO PLAN MY HOPE EVENTS AROUND BILLY GRAHAM'S BIRTHDAY ON NOVEMBER 7 OR SCHEDULE THEM IN THE WEEKS THAT FOLLOWED. IN ADDITION TO AIRING NATIONALLY ON THE TRINITY BROADCASTING NETWORK, MORE THAN 200,000 HEAVEN DVDS WERE DISTRIBUTED FOR USE BY CHURCHES, INDIVIDUALS, COLLEGE MINISTRIES, AND PRISON MINISTRIES. MORE THAN 23,000 DECISIONS FOR CHRIST HAVE BEEN REPORTED FOR MY HOPE 2014 BY MEANS OF OUR PHONE CENTER, FINDINGMYHOPE.ORG, AND FIELD REPRESENTATIVES. WE ALSO PARTNERED WITH BGEA'S OFFICE IN ENGLAND TO DISTRIBUTE AND SHOW AN ADAPTED VERSION OF THE CROSS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED KINGDOM. TOGETHER WE HOSTED 12 PASTOR EVENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS A MEANS TO ENCOURAGE CHURCH LEADERS AND HIGHLIGHT THE LOCAL NEED FOR EVANGELISM. MORE THAN 12,000 CHURCHES, ORGANIZATION, AND HOME GROUPS REGISTERED THEIR PARTICIPATION AND RECEIVED PROGRAM DVDS AND DISCIPLESHIP MATERIALS. IN ADDITION, NEARLY 49,000 INDIVIDUAL COPIES OF THE CROSS WERE DISTRIBUTED ACROSS THE NATION. BGEA ALSO SPENT MUCH OF 2014 PREPARING DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS TO LAUNCH MY HOPE IN ADDITIONAL COUNTRIES IN 2015.
