Metro Maryland to See Two Grahams at Evangelistic Festival

By Lillian Kwon, Christian Post Reporter Sunday, July 02, 2006

Billy Graham's preaching at his son Franklin's next evangelistic festival has been finalized. The 87-year-old evangelist will give the final sermon, health permitting, at this week's Metro Maryland Festival.

Honored as America's most famous preacher by the nation's largest denomination - the Southern Baptist Convention - Graham continues his legendary preaching at Oriole Park even past his own crusades.

Although last summer's Greater New York Crusade was the older Graham's final one, Franklin told The Washington Post, "He never told the world that he wouldn't keep preaching."

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Local pastors who have been planning the upcoming evangelistic event for the past three years were advised only several weeks ago of Billy Graham's coming. While excited to hear him preach the last sermon on July 9, the thrust is mainly on Franklin Graham, according to a member of the festival executive committee.

"Initially our whole thrust was on Franklin Graham coming," said Carolyn Starks Saxon.

The older Graham had preached in Baltimore in 1949 and 1981. This is Franklin Graham's first festival in the area.

At least 655 churches from the local region are involved in the festival, according to Saxon.

"This whole thing moves by how the local pastors support it because it's an outreach to all the local churches and it provides an opportunity for us all to work together as a body of Christ," said Saxon.

A group of pastors recently held a prayer breakfast to lift up the volunteers, the attendants and for the spirit of God as they stand only days away from such a large-scale Christian event that the area had never experienced.

"I have never seen a Christian event like this [in the area]," Saxon noted.

In close proximity to the Baltimore area, hundreds of churches had hosted a similar massive evangelistic festival with Luis Palau. The DC Festival drew some 60,000 even under rainy skies. Some of the pastors of the 899 churches that were involved are also taking active an active part in the upcoming Franklin Graham Festival.

"The thing that is attractive about this is because it's the body of Christ coming together and we're all working toward implementing the Great Commission which was to spread the word," stressed Saxon.

In the months leading to the festival, organizers have placed a strong emphasis on the youth and their participation. Students gathered for a prayer event called "Ignite the Flame" early March and were hyped up at a youth gospel concert the following month. Christian Life and Witness classes have also been geared toward the youth.

On Saturday, students will surround the Oriole Park Stadium at Camden Yards to pray ahead of the event before the gates open to thousands on July 7.