Rev. Franklin Graham: Abortion is ‘crime against God’
Rev. Franklin Graham, head of Samaritan's Purse, joins ‘Fox & Friends Weekend’ to react to pro-abortion groups targeting churches for Mother's Day protests amid Roe v. Wade draft opinion leak.
Rev. Franklin Graham — CEO and president of Samaritan's Purse, as well as CEO and president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association — held an evangelistic event on Saturday evening on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — and over 68,000 people of all walks of life attended the event.
The event "filled Copacabana Beach with music and hope nearly 48 years after Billy Graham’s remarkable visit to Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro in 1974," the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association reported to Fox News Digital on Sunday.
The crowd that showed up on the beach for Rev. Graham's appearance "was filled with energy and excitement — and the rain didn’t dampen their enthusiasm" for hearing the good news of the Lord, the organization noted.
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At a time when there is a great deal of suffering around the world, Rev. Graham emphasized a lasting message of God's love — "and when he gave the gospel invitation, a sea of hands went up," the organization reported.
"Thousands of people indicated that they made decisions for Jesus Christ."
Rev. Graham told all those assembled, "The Bible says the value of the human soul is worth more than the entire world," his organization reported to Fox News Digital.
"Let’s say you own all the real estate on Copacabana Beach, you own the hotels, the luxury apartments, the beautiful restaurants," he added.
"Let’s say all of that was yours — your soul is worth far more than all of that," he said.
"You have more value."
Rev. Graham and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association partnered with more than 4,000 churches in Rio de Janeiro to share the gospel.
He also said, "For anyone who turns from their sins and puts their faith and trust in God’s Son Jesus Christ, know this: God has forgiven your sins!"
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"As the Bible says, ‘He has cast them into the depths of the sea.’"
Esperança Rio — or "Hope" Rio — was the result of years of prayer, planning and training with local churches, Rev. Graham's organization pointed out.
The churches are now following up with the thousands of people who responded to the gospel invitation.
Prior to the Saturday evening event, Rev. Graham shared his joy of being in Brazil and of being able to share the gospel messages with thousands and thousands of people, local press accounts noted.
Rev. Franklin Graham, son of the late evangelical Christian leader Billy Graham, just held an evangelistic event in Brazil. His next faith event will be in London, in July. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Rev. Graham and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association partnered with more than 4,000 churches in Rio de Janeiro to share the gospel of Jesus Christ through this significant event.
"Those churches are now following up with the thousands of people who responded to the gospel invitation," the group reported to Fox News Digital.
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Beyond this weekend, Rev. Graham will hold his next evangelistic event in the United Kingdom, part of a "God Loves You Tour" there.
The event will take place on July 16 in London — and among those joining Rev. Graham will be CeCe Winans and Michael W. Smith.
The tour has already gone to Liverpool, South Wales and Sheffield.
At these free events, scores of people have "responded to the gospel invitation.
Winans is a 15-time Grammy winner and the best-selling female gospel artist of all time.
Smith, the Christian singer and songwriter, has been honored with three Grammys in his career — and as he told Fox News' Shannon Bream recently, "I'm grateful for this gift that I have … Music's a healer."
The tour has already gone to Liverpool, South Wales and Sheffield last month.
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At these free events, scores of people have "responded to the gospel invitation," the group reported.
Rev. Graham has detailed recently to Fox News Digital how both Samaritan's Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association have been helping out the needy in Ukraine and many other locations.
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