Dear Friend,
Whether with bombs, guns, knives, or speeding vehicles, the slaughter of innocent people by terrorists continues across our world today. Families grieve, cities grieve, and even entire nations grieve.
We know that the only Source of true comfort, hope, and healing is Jesus Christ, and we want to share that with the world. Last month our Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chaplains deployed to London after yet another terrorist attack—bringing the love and compassion of Christ, prayer, and a listening ear to people traumatized by the atrocity. It was the eighth time in 18 months our chaplains have deployed after terrorist violence in Europe. Visitors and locals had been strolling on London Bridge, enjoying the view of the River Thames, when a vehicle on the bridge veered at high speed, mowing down pedestrians. Three men jumped from the van shouting, “For Allah!” as they stabbed anyone they could before police arrived and put an end to the attack.
Only days before, just 200 miles northwest of London, a chaplain team deployed to Manchester after a radical Islamist detonated a suicide bomb at a concert. The explosion killed 22 people, many of them children, and injured more than 115 others.
It’s not just in Europe. Our crisis-trained chaplains have deployed to provide emotional and spiritual care for grieving and distraught people after terrorist attacks here at home, including the ISIS-inspired massacres at a holiday luncheon in San Bernardino, Calif., and one year ago at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla.
Chaplain teams also deploy alongside emergency responders and relief workers after many major natural disasters, bringing the love of Christ—the only love that heals hearts—into shattered lives and devastated communities. In the past 18 months, nearly 1,100 trained volunteer chaplains have comforted, encouraged, and prayed one-on-one with more than 46,000 people affected by tragedy.
During every deployment, God works through this ministry of care and compassion to open hearts to Himself. For example, we praise God that in the four weeks after a recent devastating tornado in Mississippi, at least 70 people turned to Jesus Christ in repentance and faith.
That fruit—hearts transformed by God—is the core of our calling, the chief purpose in everything we do at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. It matters above everything else because God is “not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9, HCSB). That’s why we go to city after city to proclaim the Good News of salvation at every opportunity. Eternity is at stake for vast numbers of people throughout our nation who know something about Jesus, but don’t know Him as their Savior and Lord. They need to know Jesus before it’s too late.
In May I led our four-city Decision America Tennessee Tour. We started in Chattanooga on a Monday evening and then went to Clarksville and Jackson. By the time we ended in Memphis the following Sunday, 22,000 people had heard the Gospel. We had music, and we joined together to pray for the president of the United States, for other leaders, and for our law enforcement officers. We also stood together to confess the sins of our nation and our own personal sins to God and ask His forgiveness. I preached at each stop, and we are so thankful for everyone who made the decision to ask Jesus Christ to change their hearts and come into their lives. That’s the best decision they will ever make!
“I think there’s a reason why we see all these people coming out on a Monday evening,” a woman in Chattanooga named Wendy said after looking around at the 6,200 gathered with her in the park. “I think people are thirsty for the Word. People are hungry spiritually and physically. People are ill spiritually and physically.”
We—along with friends like you around the country—had prayed that God would draw many who needed the Savior to these events, and we praise Him for answering that prayer. Jesus said, “As for Me, if I am lifted up … I will draw all people to Myself” (John 12:32).
In Clarksville, one out of every 13 who came to the event let us know during the invitation that they were making a decision for Christ.
A woman named Heather had been praying that her teenage daughter—as well as her husband, a staff sergeant stationed at nearby Fort Campbell—would experience a deeper personal relationship with Christ. When she heard people at her church talking about the Decision America Tennessee Tour, Heather suggested to the family that they go. On the day of the event, her daughter wasn’t at all sure she wanted to, but all three came anyway with their lawn chairs. They enjoyed the music and then listened as I shared about what Jesus did for us on the cross. When I invited people in the crowd to stand if they wanted to commit their lives to Jesus Christ, the teenage daughter stood right up. A moment later, her dad stood.
He told his startled wife afterward that he knew in his heart it was time to stop trying to do things his own way and recommit his life to Jesus. Since then, Heather reports, father and daughter have spent time together day by day reading and talking over the discipleship resources we provided. “I’m eternally grateful,” says Heather, “that the Decision America Tour stopped in Clarksville.”
Pray for the many hundreds across Tennessee who made decisions for Christ.
Decision Texas will be next, in October. Then as God leads, we will take the Gospel across many other states next year and the year after.
We thank God for opening hearts and drawing people to Himself each time we preach the Gospel at Crusades and Decision America events throughout the country. We also thank Him for touching hearts through the ministry of our Billy Graham chaplains as they share comfort and hope in His Name during times of disaster, fear, and loss.
And we thank Him for you—it is the support of friends like you, through your prayers and gifts, that makes this work possible.
May God richly bless you,
Franklin Graham
President
