Related articles and links |  1 of 2

When Billy Graham conducted a crusade in Atlanta 21 years ago, several African-American clergy boycotted the event, claiming the evangelist ignored black concerns. In October, at Graham's five-day Georgia Dome crusade, African-American participation was obvious, from the makeup of the 12,000-member choir to the platform guests, ushers, counselors, and committee chairpeople.

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) made a conscientious effort to include African Americans in the preparations and the program. Those appearing on stage with Graham included former Atlanta mayor Andrew Young; Coretta Scott King, widow of Martin Luther King, Jr.; and singers Babbie Mason and Andrae Crouch. In fact, the invitation to hold a crusade came from Young as a way to prepare the city spiritually for hosting the 1996 Summer Olympics. Young, former U.S. ambassador to the UN, is cochair of the Olympic Games Committee.

The biggest attraction of the crusade, a Saturday night youth rally that drew 78,000 people, featured the African-American Grammy Award-winning group Take 6 and the integrated DC Talk.

Cameron Alexander, pastor of the 6,000-member Antioch Baptist Church North since 1969, cochaired the event. Graham persuaded Alexander to participate by making a two-hour visit to his church a year ago. In all, more than 1,050 churches representing 46 denominations played a role in planning the crusade in Atlanta, where three out of five residents are African Americans.

Graham has a long commitment to civil rights, including personally removing ropes segregating races at a Jackson, Mississippi, 1952 crusade and inviting Martin Luther King, Jr., to a New York City crusade in 1957. At the Atlanta crusade, Graham repeatedly mentioned his friendship with King. Yet African Americans have never been huge participants in Graham evangelistic events.

"Many of us feel that over the years, when he could have spoken out, he didn't address the corroding social-justice issues affecting daily lives," Gerald Durley, president of Concerned Black Clergy, told Christianity Today.

Durley says the skepticism of several African-American pastors dissipated the first night of the Atlanta crusade upon hearing Graham's hopes for racial reconciliation.

Alexander said the crusade had been a learning experience for him as he came to know cochair W. Frank Harrington, pastor since 1971 of the 10,000-member Peachtree Presbyterian Church.

"I can sincerely say I have a brand-new friend in Atlanta," Alexander said of Harrington. "What has happened to Atlanta this week has gone a little deeper than a handshake."

Graham challenged Atlantans to continue worshiping and praying together - regardless of skin color - in order to transform the city.

"We've seen racial barriers broken down this week and expressions of love that have caused tears to roll down our cheeks," Graham said in his closing sermon. "We call it the 'spirit of Atlanta,' when black and white will live together in peace."

"Now we need to go beyond the color barrier and talk about poverty, unemployment, and hunger," Durley said. Alexander suggested Atlanta churches - "black, white, brown, red" - now could hold their own crusade in the dome, where Graham drew an average crowd of 62,000.

Former President Jimmy Carter, who had been on stage as governor at Graham's 1973 crusade, described the unity brought about by a Graham film crusade in his native Sumter County in 1967 because the evangelist insisted on integration. "All racial barriers were broken down as arch segregationists and African Americans sat down side by side."

next page... |  1 of 2

share this page

December 12 1994, Vol. 38, No. 14