The United States has New York. Japan has Tokyo. Australia has Sydney. And the United Kingdom has London.
These world-class cities represent much more than what happens within their physical limits. They represent their entire nation.
So when God laid it on Franklin Graham’s heart to preach the Gospel in the United Kingdom, a stop in London was essential.
“This country has had such a huge impact, not only on the world but the church,” the evangelist said. “So many missionaries came out of this country, taking the Gospel around the world.”
But in recent decades, Christianity in the U.K. has declined. Half the nation identifies as Christian, reports the Office for National Statistics, down about 23 percent in 10 years. A recent survey from Theos Think Tank found that only 32 percent of Christians pray regularly and 10 percent attend religious services at least once a month.
“This country has changed so much in the last 20, 30 years, but the needs of the human heart haven’t changed,” Franklin Graham said. “People are still searching. They’re still looking, but they don’t even know what they’re searching or looking for.”
That’s why he embarked on the U.K. God Loves You Tour back in May. The evangelist told more than 11,000 British citizens that their souls are longing for a personal relationship with God. And hundreds in Liverpool, Newport and Sheffield responded to that message—inviting Jesus Christ into their hearts and lives.
This Saturday, the evangelist is bringing the Gospel message to London with musicians CeCe Winans and Michael W. Smith. Local believers hope God will use the singing and preaching of His Word to draw even more Brits to Himself.
“If ever the U.K. needed the message of the Good News of Jesus Christ, it is now,” said Rev. Paul James, senior pastor of London’s Harrow International Christian Centre. “The nation has been gripped with sorrow and the pain of loss. Many have lost hope, and they are filled with anxiety and worry over the direction the world is heading.”
“The answer can only be found in Jesus Christ,” the local pastor continued, “and we look forward to hearing Franklin Graham share the most important message the world will ever hear.”
Believers representing over 1,000 churches have attended preparation events, getting trained by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) to share their faith and invite neighbors to the final God Loves You Tour stop. As an added bonus, they’ve been working and praying alongside people of various races and denominations—as London is the most ethnically diverse region in England and Wales.
This mobilization of believers is not just for one night. Franklin Graham said this is an “endeavor to reach another generation with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Would you pray Saturday’s event leads Londoners to a lasting and living relationship with Christ?