NEW ORLEANS (BP)–Billy and Franklin Graham were welcomed to the sanctuary of First Baptist Church in New Orleans by a standing ovation from pastors, spouses and special guests March 9 for a time of prayer for the Grahams’ March 11-12 “Celebration of Hope” in the hurricane-ravaged city.
By Keith Manuel
Regional reporter
NEW ORLEANS (BP)–Billy and Franklin Graham were
welcomed to the sanctuary of First Baptist Church in New Orleans by a
standing ovation from pastors, spouses and special guests March 9 for a
time of prayer for the Grahams’ March 11-12 “Celebration of Hope” in
the hurricane-ravaged city.
The still strong voices of George Beverly Shea and
Cliff Barrows led the group in worship. Barrows pointed out that the
three men, Graham, Shea and Barrows, represent 267 years of collective
ministry.
Franklin Graham stood behind the pulpit where his
father preached in 1954 to lead a month-long crusade in New Orleans at
the old Pelican Stadium. David Crosby, First Baptist New Orleans
pastor, pulled out a pen and invited Franklin to sign the pulpit that
his father and the Graham team had signed in 1954.
Franklin Graham mentioned the historic nature of the
Celebration of Hope. During the planning for the event, he said, “I
never dreamed we would have Daddy, Uncle Cliff and Uncle Bev join us.
It is such a blessing, such an honor to have them.”
The younger Graham, who peppered the meeting with
self-deprecating humor, told the pastors that they would have to put up
with his preaching on Saturday while they were saving the best for last
at the two-day outreach, his father.
Billy Graham told the audience, “I am absolutely
devastated by what I’ve felt and seen in the couple of days that I’ve
been here. I don’t even know how to describe it. I haven’t even called
my wife, because I don’t think I am emotionally capable of telling her
what I’ve seen and heard since I’ve been here.
“The encouraging thing to me is the wonderful
Christians I’ve met and the working together among the pastors,” Graham
continued. “I want to thank you for the parts you are playing in this
situation that the whole world is reading about and hearing about.
“Out of this disaster is going to grow a new New
Orleans,” Graham said. “You [the pastors] are going to be the key to
its progress because what is needed is a moral and spiritual renewal.”
Many people have asked him why the storm hit New
Orleans to which Graham said he has replied, “I don’t know. I don’t
know anyone who does know. I just know God allowed it. He didn’t send
it, but He allowed it.”
Graham noted: “Jesus is no security against storms, but He is a perfect security in the storm.”
Franklin Graham, who has been in New Orleans five
times since Hurricane Katrina, said a local mayor discussing the poor
response by governmental and non-profit agencies following the storm
told him, “It was the churches that have saved our cities.”
A Marine who was in Falujah in Iraq and now is
assigned to help a local parish told Franklin Graham of the difference
between faith-based groups and other groups: “You have something that
the others don’t have. It is the spiritual element. I don’t fully
understand it, but when people have lost everything, there is a
spiritual need in that person’s life and the other groups can’t give
it.”
Franklin Graham emphasized that the goal of
Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association is to
support the work of the local churches. “Our prayer is that this
weekend, hundreds, maybe thousands, will come to know Jesus Christ,” he
said.
Local pastors and leaders responded with excitement
to the Grahams. Warren J. Riley, superintendent of police for New
Orleans and a member of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church,
said, “The city needs prayer. Hopefully, it’s an awakening
for many people in New Orleans. Perhaps they will become more
spiritual, put God in their lives, and help turn New Orleans around.
“One lesson is to be learned,” Riley said: “Those
people who did not have their lives right, spiritually, maybe [Katrina]
will focus them on doing what is right, based on God’s Word.”
Jim Woodard, pastor of The Crossroads in the New
Orleans-area Belle Chasse community, said, “I think this is an exciting
opportunity. When we first started having meetings, my impression was
we are so inundated as church members and leaders, do we really need to
be sidelined or distracted with something like this?
“As the meetings progressed, I have become totally
convinced that God is going to do something special this weekend in New
Orleans, especially to bring us a message of hope and encouragement,”
Woodard said. “I felt the Holy Spirit speak to me that this is the
message we need right now and this is the man to bring it to us.”
Martha Bailey, a pastor’s wife from Covington, La.,
said, “I have been praying that we will see that God really does mean
what He says when He said, ‘Call to me and I will answer you and show
you great and mighty things which you do not know.’ That is the
Scripture that kept reverberating in my mind as we were in the worship
service with the Grahams.”
First Baptist’s Crosby said, “I feel that God has
displayed his favor to me in the most concrete way possible, by
bringing Franklin and Billy Graham here. I don’t know of another thing
that could have taken place that could have been more of an
encouragement to me spiritually, and in every way, than for Billy
Graham to say, ‘I have New Orleans on my heart and I want to come
here.’”