Hundreds of people recently made professions of faith after evangelist Franklin Graham preached the Good News of the Gospel to more than 13,200 people at the Noi festival in Milan, Italy.
The outreach – which required the efforts of hundreds of Italian churches to make the event a reality – is considered to be the biggest evangelistic event to take place in Milan.
"There are many people here with hungry hearts, many who have been searching for peace in their lives," Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, told the audience at the Mediolanum Forum Saturday night. "I'm here to tell you that God loves you, and you can find that purpose for your life by putting your faith and trust in God's Son, Jesus Christ. He came from heaven to this earth to save us from our sins."
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Christian humanitarian organization Samaritan's Purse, also led by Graham, set up an Emergency Field Hospital to care for people stricken with the disease. Samaritan's Purse was the first international organization to provide emergency medical relief efforts in Italy during the pandemic, CBN News reported.
As a result, many churches in the region came together to share the Gospel. According to BGEA, Italian pastors plan to continue working together for future events like the one that took place at the Noi festival.
"Pastors in the north part of Milan are praying with pastors in the south," Gerry Testori, a festival committee member, said. "This is a blessing for our nation."
The special event also featured several musical guests, including the Christian band The Afters and former Hillsong singer Taya Smith.
"What a night! Both @SamaritansPurse & @BGEA have close ties w/Italy where we deployed a field hospital to Cremona when it was the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020," wrote Graham on Saturday. "Tonight, it was my privilege to preach the Gospel at the Mediolanum Forum in Milan at the #NoiFestival."
What a night! Both @SamaritansPurse & @BGEA have close ties w/Italy where we deployed a field hospital to Cremona when it was the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Tonight it was my privilege to preach the Gospel at the Mediolanum Forum in Milan at the #NoiFestival. pic.twitter.com/ZyKXSR2Hbf
— Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) October 29, 2022
"I shared this evening that whatever mountain is in front of you—Jesus Christ is the answer," he continued. "All you need to do is be willing to turn from your sins & by faith & repentance, accept Him into your heart & life. We praise God for those who made the decision to take that step tonight!"
In a separate tweet, Graham announced that he is launching his "God Loves You Tour" in New Zealand on Nov. 12. He will preach in Christchurch, Wellington, and Auckland.
On Nov. 12, we kick off the God Loves You Tour in New Zealand! I’m looking forward to being in Christchurch, Wellington, & Auckland. We'll also have great music from @JeremyCamp & @TheAfters! Visit this link for more & join us in praying for each event: https://t.co/922Y3iZVpy pic.twitter.com/iQwU4E6UeW
— Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) October 31, 2022
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Image/Justin Sullivan/Staff
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
