More than 1,600 people made some type of spiritual response during the Aug. 14–16 Greater Birmingham Festival of Hope with Franklin Graham.
Of those decisions, 934 were made by people watching the event on the Internet stream and 619 happened on site at UAB’s Bartow Arena or during training events. Four hundred and five of the on-site responses were decisions for salvation.
Each night an invitation time was given following Graham’s message. Christian artists provided a variety of music leading up to Graham’s time on the program. Headliner artists Kirk Franklin (Fri.), Newsboys (Sat.) and Michael W. Smith (Sun.) wrapped up each night with a concert following the invitation time.
Nearly 10,000 people attended the closing night, more than 8,000 the second night and nearly 5,000 the opening night.
Online viewers totaled 43,658, according to festival co-leader Kevin Moore, who provided all numbers coming out of the event.
He also noted that 300 churches and ministries from the Birmingham area united across racial and denominational lines to make the event — which took two years to organize — happen in order to reach people for Jesus Christ.
Mike McLemore, executive director of Birmingham Baptist Association and member of the event leadership team, said, “The festival helped us … bring the diverse cultures that make up the population of Birmingham and surrounding cities, as well as the different denominations that make up the faith community of Birmingham, together to celebrate our oneness in Christ.
“What a beautiful picture it was to see this happen right before our eyes,” McLemore said. “Another huge goal that was accomplished was to reach out to the younger generation that represents the future of our churches. In every session this generation of young people and children were present and engaged in the celebration of the gospel.”
McLemore noted that the festival was the largest evangelistic event held in Birmingham since the 1972 Billy Graham Crusade at Legion Field.
“This festival proved to be a huge success for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, for the good of our cities and counties, for the good of the entire faith community and a real big support to the ministries of the 300-plus churches that participated.”
Of the 1,000 church members and ministry leaders who volunteered to help with the event, 800 were trained as counselors.
Each night before the event began, those trained as counselors lined up and waited to be pulled together individually into a group that included men’s, women’s and children’s counselors.
The groups would sit in different parts of the arena and move toward the floor of the arena as people around them responded to the invitation.
Scores of others worked tirelessly behind the scenes hours before the event began and hours after it ended each night. And once the event ended 30 church groups began following up with those who made decisions.
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