June 27, 1998
WELCOME TO THE KINGDOM
3,500 ENDURE WIND, RAIN TO HEAR EVANGELIST'S MESSAGE OF SALVATION
By CHINTA PUXLEY -- Ottawa Sun
The audience went wild with religious enthusiasm as Billy Graham took the stage for the second time at the Corel Centre last night.
The stadium was packed inside with about 18,500 curious and religious spectators while some 3,500 sat in the rain and wind outside, watching the show on a giant screen.
Billy Graham chatted with the crowd about his grandchildren, the weather and his own children. Joking about his health, he told the audience "doctors give me enough pills to choke a camel."
After listing the number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, he said "all of them know Christ as their Lord and savior" to the cheers of the crowd.
Graham urged the audience not to allow Satan to win what he called the "battle of the mind."
"The mind starts out against God," he said. "Those who follow their own moral instinct, their mind will produce evil results. Impure thoughts, lust and pleasures, fighting, jealousy and anger which causes murder and wildness and drunken parties.
"Anyone living that life, will not inherit the kingdom of God. If you live that kind of life and Satan controls your mind, you cannot inherit the kingdom of God."
Graham said if people desired peace, life and joy, all they have to do is accept Jesus Christ as their savior. Graham pointed to alcohol and violence as evidence that many people are allowing Satan to win the battle.
"Alcohol is the worst drug we have today," he said to the cheering of the audience. "It alters the thinking of your mind. In the United States, they are trying to ban cigarettes but we never hear a word about banning alcohol. They said prohibition didn't work. Well I lived through that and it did work compared to what's going on now."
The evening kicked off with the Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir -- numbering 36 strong voices -- overwhelming the stadium with three rousing hymns. The audience lifted their voices shortly thereafter singing: "Lord I lift your name on high," many also swaying their hands in the air.
Inuit singer Susan Aglukark received a standing ovation for her a capella version of Amazing Grace sung in her native language of Inuktitut.
"You can come here from the arctic, or biggest city in Canada and you can celebrate life," she told the stadium. "You celebrate Christ in your life."
Mission organizers couldn't avoid the reality of putting on such a mission without charging admission.
Almost 75% of the mission's $2.2-million budget was raised before the mission even began. Donations on the first night pushed the total up to 77% of the mission's budget.
But before Graham appeared on stage last night, the audience was asked for donations to make up the remaining 22%.
"It's not over yet," Paul McKechnie, vice-chair of the mission's executive committee, told the audience.
"This is a year-long mission. We'll have four wonderful nights and two months left to go but we can't do this without resources.
"This step of faith we took has a budget of $2.2 million. The good news is we are 78% there. The bad news is, we are 22% short. I want to give you the opportunity to participate in this mission."
Wilf Wight, executive member of the mission and district director of the Canadian Bible Society, said no matter how much money is raised, the salaries of mission staff doesn't change. All the surplus money goes back to the crusade office in Winnipeg to help fund other religious projects, he said.
"After all the bills are paid, we might buy time on Canadian TV and broadcast what happened on a mission," he said. "If we do well financially here, it will be money to buy TV time."
Wight said Graham is different from other evangelists who need money to fund their own TV programs.
"Billy Graham doesn't have a regular TV program to support," he said. "It's a whole different approach.
"He won't come unless he's invited to stay and train. When the mission is over, it will have contributed much to local church life."
Organizers are expecting higher numbers of people over the weekend when buses from Quebec and around Eastern Ontario will be arriving.
"The momentum and interest in the mission usually builds for the weekend," said Jeff Anderson, director of the Ottawa Billy Graham Mission.
But he said the four-day mission is only the tip of the iceberg. The mission's legacy, he said, will be felt in the community for years to come.
"Billy Graham said it may take 10, 15 or 25 years before you realize the impact of something like this on a community," he said. "It's something we're involved in and it doesn't end Sunday."
Anderson said the mission strengthens the religious community by both increasing its numbers and its enthusiasm for Christianity.
On Thursday, the first night of the mission, counsellors signed up about 7% of the audience for discipleships.
Since the purpose of the four-day mission is to recruit disciples, Anderson said the mission is encouraged by that positive response.
"In the southern states, in the Bible Belt, the response may be 2% to 4%. As you come further north, the response rate is usually 5% to 9% so this is a good response."
But Anderson said if the mission brings one person to Christianity, the mission is well worthwhile.
For his part, Wight added although mission attendance has been encouraging, it isn't important. Organizers are just enjoying the culmination of a year's work.
"We're just thankful after all the months and years of hoping this would happen," he said. "What is going on in our hearts is a song of thanksgiving."