Franklin Graham Evangelical Event Breaks Attendance Record at Venue
Truly God is able to use anything He desires to testify about Himself, and bring unity among churches.
Such was the case on Saturday with a Franklin Graham event in Milan, Italy at the Noi Festival where hundreds received Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.
But really, the festival, which had an all-time, record-breaking attendance, is the end of the story. It all began because of COVID.
The festival was intended to take place back in 2020, but COVID put a stop to that. Instead, Samaritan’s Purse, which is a humanitarian arm of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), ended up opening an Emergency Field Hospital, according to BGEA Canada.
The hospital was set up in Italy’s Lombardy region, which was ground zero at the time for COVID-19.
The area’s healthcare system was being overwhelmed by the pandemic. So Samaritan’s Purse set up a 68-bed facility, and was the first international aid agency to arrive in the area with emergency relief, according to The Christian Post.
Chaplains representing the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team were also on the scene.
The Lord worked through all of that to bring area churches together in unity to serve the people of the area, and also help facilitate healing.
Long story short, 500 congregations worked together in unity to help prepare for the Franklin Graham Evangelical event, which was being held at the Mediolanum Forum. The venue was packed to capacity with 13,200 attendees, the largest crowd ever to fill it.
Franklin Graham’s message was simple, but profound.
“There are many people here with hungry hearts, many who have been searching for peace in their lives. I’m here to tell you that God loves you, and you can find that purpose for your life by putting your faith and trust in God’s Son, Jesus Christ. He came from Heaven to this earth to save us from our sins,” Graham said.
He also pointed out the importance of having a relationship with Jesus verses just having a religion.
“I’ve met a lot of people who are religious but don’t have a relationship with God,” Graham said. “Religion is not enough. … You cannot work for your salvation. You cannot buy your salvation.”
There were 700 people who came forward to receive Christ. Among both those who volunteered as counselors and those whom they led to the Lord, many said they felt God’s presence during the event in a profound way like they had never before it experienced before.