November 13, 2000
Graham: 'As long as God gives me breath, I'll preach'
___By Adelle Banks
___Religion News Service
___JACKSONVILLE, Fla.--Bringing the last of his year's crusades to a close Nov. 5, ailing evangelist Billy Graham made it clear he wasn't ready to end his more than 50-year history of evangelism gatherings around the country.
___"I want to tell you this: As long as God gives me breath, I'm going to continue to preach," he said, drawing cheers and applause from 65,000 people in Alltel Stadium for the last session of the four-day crusade.
EVANGELIST BILLY GRAHAM is joined in Jacksonville, Fla., by his longtime musical associates Cliff Barrows (left) and George Beverly Shea (right) in a rendition of "This Little Light of Mine" at the final session of his last crusade of the year. (RNS photo by Bob Self)
___Graham, who spent much of the summer in the hospital, said he would be meeting in the coming weeks with staff and committee members to determine "where we go next, what cities we accept."
___He asked for prayers for the decision-making process as well as for those close to him, including his wife, Ruth, who is in painful recovery from numerous hip surgeries.
___"We're all looking forward pretty soon to being together up there," he said, referring to heaven. "And we'll have new bodies ... . So, to all of you we say 'au revoir,' which is a French word, which means 'til we meet again, 'til we meet up there."
___In his closing sermon, Graham compared the materialism and pornography in the modern world to the idolatry and illicit sex of Sodom and Gomorrah of ancient biblical times. After speaking for 38 minutes, the evangelist urged people to make a Christian commitment.
___"All you need to understand is that you're a sinner and you need a Savior and Jesus is your Savior and you're coming to him," Graham said. For the second night in a row, so many people came forward Graham had to ask the crowd gathered on the floor to move a bit closer to the stage so others would have room after walking down from the upper decks of the football stadium.
___Graham's son, Franklin, who has been named the eventual successor to his father as leader of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, introduced his dad on Friday, kissing him on the side of the head.
___Over the course of the crusade, Graham focused on the gospel, but he also spoke of the need for reconciliation among races in the United States and between Israelis and Palestinians in the Middle East.
___Crusade organizers said attendance over the four days totaled 242,000, with 10,539 spiritual decisions recorded.
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