“There are some things that only happen when the church is united,” encouraged Harold Afflu to a room of around 350 pastors and church leaders gathered in Manchester for the God Loves You Tour (GLYT) kick-off lunch.
The atmosphere was full of expectation as leaders from across the North West united in prayer, worship, and a shared vision to boldly proclaim the Gospel.
Afflu, who saw God move powerfully at the London God Loves You Tour last year, urged local ministry leaders to partner with the Manchester outreach taking place this autumn. This event marks the ninth GLYT hosted by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) in England and the first time the tour will take place in Manchester.
“Today, the culture is very worried. There’s a lot of anxiety and fear,” observed Scott Lenning , Festival Director. “We are privileged in the Church to have an answer to the world’s problems—and that’s Jesus.”
Recent outreaches have demonstrated the power of churches standing together. Last June, Franklin Graham shared the Gospel with more than 17,000 people at the Excel in London, where over 1,340 individuals made a decision for Christ—made possible by the partnership of 580 churches across the capital and surrounding areas.
“God is moving. There’s a quiet revival,” shared Pastor Ben Jeffery of SoulCity Church, Stockport. “I would love for us to take advantage of this moment because I believe that God wants to do something special in Manchester.”
“I love the focus on evangelism,” said Eric Mumba, a pastor from Leeds. “My prayer is for those without Christ to come to Him. And for those that come to Him to be connected to a local church.”
As preparations continue ahead of October, churches will be supported through coordinated prayer initiatives, mobilisation and training for evangelism through Christian Life and Witness Courses (CLWCs), Pursuit of Worship nights for youth, and much more. You can find out all the latest information at GodLovesYouTour.org.uk .
