(Worthy Insights) – Sixty-five years after his father, the late Billy Graham, first preached in Addis Ababa, Franklin Graham returned to the Ethiopian capital for a two-day evangelistic outreach on March 8-9 dubbed “Encountering God,” drawing hundreds of thousands and witnessing over 4,000 commitments to Jesus Christ.
Graham, who was on his 11th visit to Ethiopia emphasized the enduring relevance of the Gospel message his father shared decades ago. “My father preached the same Gospel message 65 years ago,” Graham told reporters at a press conference attended by forty media outlets. “The world has changed, politics have changed, but the Gospel does not change. It’s the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.”
The outreach was organized by the Ethiopian Council of Gospel Believers’ Churches, a coalition of over 3,000 churches in Ethiopia. The evangelistic gathering was preceded by months of preparation, prayer and discipleship training. Seneshat Teka, Director of Spiritual Development at the council highlighted that while most Ethiopians have some form of religious belief, there is often a strong emphasis on tradition and non-Biblical doctrine. She emphasized the importance for evangelical pastors to remain focused on “the preaching and teaching of the Word of God.” [ Source (Read More…) ]