Youths Blitz the Beaches for Graham’s Crusade

The morning after the largest first-night attendance of any of the five crusades Billy Graham has held in Southern California, about 2,500 young people were turned loose Saturday to blitz the beaches and shopping malls, inviting their peers to Saturday night’s “youth rally” at Anaheim Stadium.

Judging from the turnout of 46,500 people Saturday night--6,500 more than the first night--their efforts brought success.

A group of 22 high school and college students from Fremont, in Northern California, handed out nearly 700 invitation leaflets at Laguna Beach Saturday afternoon.

Ross Gunn III, youth pastor of Fremont Community Church, said some of those given the invitations were uninterested:

“One tore up the leaflet and said, ‘I’m a Buddhist,’ but overall, the response was good,” Gunn said.

Young people who received the flyers were more responsive than older people, several of those participating in the project said.

The invitations said that Graham’s 10-night crusade, which opened Friday, is a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (that) may change your life.”

The famed evangelist has set aside four of the 10 crusade nights for a youth emphasis. The greatest proportion of those who “go forward” at the close of his messages to “receive Christ” are between the ages of 15 and 25.

About half of Saturday evening’s audience stood when the evangelist asked how many were under the age of 30. Another large group stood when he asked how many were under the age of 21.

Graham’s Saturday sermon focused on the “giants of life,” particularly those faced by young people.

“Between (the ages of) 15 and 25 there’s peer pressure . . . and different ideologies, philosophies and cults,” Graham said. “Then there is the giant of longing for moral guidance. Young people today want someone to tell them what is right and wrong.”

Speaking of the “giants” of war, racial turmoil, social injustice, hunger, poverty, trade deficits and illicit sex, Graham concluded: “You can face the giants and the problems and difficulties in your life and you can slay them . . . if you put your faith in Christ.”

Saturday’s attendance of 46,500 was 50% larger than that 16 years ago on the second night of Graham’s 1969 Anaheim crusade. Crusade organizers hope for a total attendance of 600,000 over the 10 days.

About 2,700 “inquirers”--about 6% of the audience--sought counseling about spiritual decisions Friday night, Graham associates said Saturday.

Leon Patillo, a gospel singer-pianist formerly with the rock band Santana, moved the large Saturday night audience with his rousing rendition of “Cornerstone.”

Earlier, Patillo brought the youths at the morning mini-concert, prayer and commissioning service to their feet with a rhythmic spell-out chorus, “J-E-S-U-S, He’s my Lord and King; J-E-S-U-S, He’s my everything.”

In addition to the youth emphasis, Saturday night’s rally focused on military personnel. Dave Roever, a U.S. Navy veteran who was seriously burned in Vietnam, also brought members of the audience to their feet in a cheer and ovation when he declared: “I am proud of my stars and stripes for America!”

Saturday afternoon’s youth blitz to round up young people for the evening meeting was the first event of its kind during a Graham crusade. Some groups of 50 or more came by chartered bus.

One group of eight young people from the Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton handed out 75 invitation leaflets at shopping centers, to drivers in cars at stoplights--and even managed to pass one from their car to a passing motorist on a freeway.