Press release from DeMossNewsPond.com
Franklin Graham Festival: The First Evangelistic Event in Okinawa, Japan, in More Than a Decade
In a Country That is 1% Christian, 30,792 Heard Graham Deliver a Message of Hope
OKINAWA, Japan, Nov. 6, 2006—Although The Battle of Okinawa during World War II was some 60 years ago, the impact of that event is still very present on the island and in the hearts of the people.“Seeing more than 200,000 civilian and military names written in stone at the Peace Memorial here is an overwhelming experience,” said Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. “Peace has since come to Okinawa, but I’m here to talk about an eternal peace that we all can have in our hearts through Jesus Christ.”Graham held his first Festival in Japan at the invitation of local pastors, leaders, and churches, a group which grew to more than 130 participating churches from many different denominations. The three-day Festival drew 30,792 to the Chatan Sports Complex in Okinawa, Nov. 3-5. Considering less than 1% of the population of Japan is Christian and that the average church has about 40 members, local organizers were astonished at the response to the Festival. By the final night of the event, more than 1,942 responded to the invitation to put their faith in Jesus Christ.Okinawa has a diverse population, with 13 U.S. military bases with 150,000 American citizens living on the island. The Festival marked the first time that local Okinawa churches and international and English-speaking churches joined together for such an event.Each night, crowds heard Graham’s straightforward message of hope and forgiveness, along with energetic and traditional local music from artists including Asia and Chu Kosaka, Reiko Uehara, Marre Ishii, a mass gospel choir, guitarist Dennis Agajanian with Monty Gaylord, and the California-based Tommy Coomes Band.On Saturday two different events for children were held. 1,780 international and American children came for Kids Quest, a fun program with drama and music, designed to teach kids about God’s love. Later in the day, nearly 5,000 local kids attended the Okinawa Children’s Family Festival, tailored specifically for the Japanese community. A total of 722 children responded to the invitation.The Japan Festival marked the final evangelistic event of the year for Graham. Volunteers in several cities around the world are already hard at work preparing for the 2007 Festivals. Next year, Graham is planning to conduct events in Hong Kong; Korea; Ecuador; Panama; Ukraine; Binghamton, N.Y.; Tacoma, Wash.; and Norfolk, Va.
Franklin Graham Festival: The First Evangelistic Event in Okinawa, Japan, in More Than a Decade
In a Country That is 1% Christian, 30,792 Heard Graham Deliver a Message of Hope
OKINAWA, Japan, Nov. 6, 2006—Although The Battle of Okinawa during World War II was some 60 years ago, the impact of that event is still very present on the island and in the hearts of the people.“Seeing more than 200,000 civilian and military names written in stone at the Peace Memorial here is an overwhelming experience,” said Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. “Peace has since come to Okinawa, but I’m here to talk about an eternal peace that we all can have in our hearts through Jesus Christ.”Graham held his first Festival in Japan at the invitation of local pastors, leaders, and churches, a group which grew to more than 130 participating churches from many different denominations. The three-day Festival drew 30,792 to the Chatan Sports Complex in Okinawa, Nov. 3-5. Considering less than 1% of the population of Japan is Christian and that the average church has about 40 members, local organizers were astonished at the response to the Festival. By the final night of the event, more than 1,942 responded to the invitation to put their faith in Jesus Christ.Okinawa has a diverse population, with 13 U.S. military bases with 150,000 American citizens living on the island. The Festival marked the first time that local Okinawa churches and international and English-speaking churches joined together for such an event.Each night, crowds heard Graham’s straightforward message of hope and forgiveness, along with energetic and traditional local music from artists including Asia and Chu Kosaka, Reiko Uehara, Marre Ishii, a mass gospel choir, guitarist Dennis Agajanian with Monty Gaylord, and the California-based Tommy Coomes Band.On Saturday two different events for children were held. 1,780 international and American children came for Kids Quest, a fun program with drama and music, designed to teach kids about God’s love. Later in the day, nearly 5,000 local kids attended the Okinawa Children’s Family Festival, tailored specifically for the Japanese community. A total of 722 children responded to the invitation.The Japan Festival marked the final evangelistic event of the year for Graham. Volunteers in several cities around the world are already hard at work preparing for the 2007 Festivals. Next year, Graham is planning to conduct events in Hong Kong; Korea; Ecuador; Panama; Ukraine; Binghamton, N.Y.; Tacoma, Wash.; and Norfolk, Va.
