Reeling After Three Hurricanes, More Than 19,000 Unite in Mobile, Ala., for Franklin Graham Festival

Graham Finishes Festival with Overflow Crowds in City Thirsting for Message of Good News and Encouragement

MOBILE, Ala., April 24, 2006—The warm weather that makes winters so appealing in this Gulf Coast community also makes it extremely vulnerable when hurricane season arrives.  The evidence is still clearly visible as the Mobile area struggles to recover from Hurricanes Ivan, Dennis, and Katrina. But during his 115th evangelistic Festival April 21-23, Franklin Graham shared why there’s reason to have hope no matter what storm you may be facing.

“I was here right after Hurricane Katrina and saw firsthand what people around the country were seeing on TV. We were all touched by the sadness and the destruction,” said Graham, who is president of both the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and the international relief organization Samaritan’s Purse, which has raised $38 million for hurricane relief and has helped repair homes for more than 7,700 families along the Gulf Coast.

During his weekend visit to Mobile, Graham focused on the kind of relief that can only come through God.

“I’m here to tell you that Jesus Christ is the answer, and tonight He can change your life,” Graham told the 19,287 people who gathered for the three-day Gulf Coast 2006 Franklin Graham Festival.  The Festival wrapped up Sunday with overflow crowds at the Mobile Civic Center.

Graham’s Gospel message offered the kind of hope and encouragement that community leaders say Mobile has been thirsting for, and it’s why more than 300 churches joined together, overcoming racial and denominational barriers for the non-denominational effort organized through the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

“He is here tonight to give us the opportunity to unify and praise God and worship together and thank God for all He has done for us,” Mobile Mayor Sam Jones told the Festival audience. “We pray that the Lord would shower out upon us His Spirit, that we will be moved and touched, not just for this three-day period but from now henceforth and evermore, with the Spirit of the Lord.”

In addition to Graham’s nightly Gospel message, the Festival included a wide range of outstanding music from artists including CeCe Winans, Andrae Crouch, FFH, Alicia Williamson Garcia, Joy Williams, the Gaither Vocal Band, and Lynda Randle.  George Beverly Shea, who spent 60 years singing at Billy Graham Crusades, also joined Franklin Graham in Mobile. At age 97, Shea sang to enthusiastic Festival crowds on Friday and Sunday.

During the Festival, 935 people responded to Graham’s invitation to commit their lives to Jesus Christ. In addition to the nightly events, 2,653 children and their parents came to the Saturday morning kids program featuring Bibleman, where 316 children responded to the invitation to commit their lives to Christ.

This event in Mobile was Graham’s fourth Festival this year, having recently completed Festivals in Manila, Philippines; New Orleans; and Angola, La., speaking to nearly 371,000 people.  Graham’s next Festival will be held in Baltimore July 7-9. 

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