Evangelists Say ‘Amen’ to Gathering : Religion: Anaheim meeting of 1,500 U.S. pastors ends after three days of sermons, prayers.

With a Bible clutched to his chest and tears streaming down his face, Rick Lewis stared Wednesday at workers clearing plants and a lectern from a dais under a banner that said “Not Afraid of the Gospel.”

The 53-year-old Yorba Linda man had just listened to the rousing final sermon of the Preach the Word evangelical conference, and he was moved to make a change in his life and take his faith to a more public arena.

“We can all be ministers of the Gospel,” said the trim man. “You may not have much to bring, but God can take it and use it.”

The final sermon was delivered by Greg Laurie, founder of the Harvest Crusades and the driving force behind the second annual evangelism workshop for ministers.

The three-day conference drew about 1,500 people to the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim and featured passionate sermons by nationally renowned speakers, including the Rev. Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham, and Laurie, one of the more influential evangelists in California.

The aim of Preach the Word was to help ministers market their message of Jesus in a way that is clear, palpable and relevant, Laurie said.

“People are put off by the odd mannerisms of pastors on television,” he said. “We want people to look beyond weird wrapping paper and see what’s in the box.”

A less aggressive effort to market the conference this year was partly to blame for lower attendance, organizers said. Last year’s conference drew 2,800 people.

Graham delivered a strident message about the spate of violence that has occurred across the country, imploring the audience to return to their congregations and get people fired up about being a Christian in what he calls a “godless” society.

“For 30 years, Americans have been fed a diet of sex and violence on television,” he said in an interview after his speech. “It’s a nation that has turned its back on God. Our nation needs healing.”

For Graham, the most important thing he said he could do is tell people about God’s love for them. “Today, people don’t feel loved,” he said. “A lot of people aren’t even sure there’s a God.”

Other speakers included Anne Graham Lotz, Franklin’s sister; Tony Evans, senior pastor of the Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas; and Alistair Begg, senior pastor at Parkside Church in suburban Cleveland.

The crowd included some laypeople, but organizers said most attendees were pastors.

Lewis, an Anaheim parks maintenance worker, said he was “blessed” by the conference and ready to spearhead a family counseling program at his church in Yorba Linda. Or perhaps he’ll become an ordained minister.

Whatever he decides, he credits the spirited gathering of clergy this week as his motivation.

Laurie “really speaks to my heart,” said Lewis, who became a Christian 25 years ago and wants to spread the word of the Galilean carpenter who “saved” his life. “I’m going to leave it up to God what’s in my future.”

Conference volunteer John Douthitt of Riverside, who attended last year’s conference as well, said he has met pastors from throughout the United States who came to the event looking for new ideas for sermons and church events.

“Pastors can get bogged down like anyone else,” Douthitt said. “This event helps them keep their focus and gives them support.”

Robert Clark, a preacher from the Fresno area, drove more than four hours to attend the conference and came away from it pumped up to bring the message of Christ “from the pulpit back to the community.”

Attendees praised Laurie for putting together a slick, multimedia conference with a blend of humor and theology.

“It gets me revved up,” Janet Gruchacz of Visalia said as she rocked her 8-month-old baby. “It makes me think about evangelizing the whole world.”