At first glance, Michal and Dorota, a married couple from Poland, don’t seem to have much in common with a man like Billy Graham—a North Carolina farm boy-turned-preacher.
But their passion for the Gospel brings them together as co-laborers in God’s kingdom, working every day to lead people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Michal and Dorota wandered the Billy Graham Library bookstore June 14 after taking the Library’s Journey of Faith tour, detailing the life and ministry of Billy Graham.
The couple had been visiting their sister church in Columbia, South Carolina, raising support for a church plant they’re involved in back home. They came to Charlotte, North Carolina, to catch a flight back to Poland and stumbled upon the Billy Graham Library en route.
The Library tour encouraged the couple as they prepare for their own ministry journey with the church plant.
Michal and Dorota are facing obstacles in sharing the Gospel with their fellow Poles. Although many Polish citizens consider themselves religious, most believe they’ll go to heaven simply because of good works or their family’s background—not because they have a relationship with Jesus.
“In Poland, if you ask someone ‘Are you Christian?’ they say ‘Yes, I was baptized,’” Michal explained. “Or ‘Do you know Christ?’ and they answer ‘Yes, that’s the guy on the cross.’”
Michal and Dorota are burdened for the Polish people to know Jesus as a personal, loving Savior and not just “the guy on the cross.”
“People in theory believe in Christ, but they don’t know Him,” Michal continued, expressing his heartbreak over people who believe in a partial Gospel. “They’re not wrong, but they’re not complete.”
The couple is praying for revival in their nation, but know God is already at work. They attended a Franklin Graham Festival in Warsaw, Poland, in 2014 and were encouraged that thousands heard the Gospel.
Michal and Dorota’s new church should launch this fall in Poland, where they will help people authentically know Jesus, just like Billy Graham and Franklin Graham have.
With only a few hours left in America before flying home, Michal and Dorota appreciated the reminder of God’s faithfulness during their visit to the Library.
“We really need to give Poland the Gospel, the true Gospel,” Michal said. “To get out this message that has been spoken by Billy [Graham].”
Plan your own visit to the Billy Graham Library today.
