THE LIGHT OF CHRIST IN ETHIOPIA

Dear Friend,

I’ve been working to help people in Ethiopia in Jesus’ Name for more than 35 years, and now I look forward to preaching His Gospel there. This country boasts one of the oldest Christian communities in the world—but there are still thousands of people living there who do not know Jesus Christ. Addis Ababa is one of Africa’s most diverse and densely populated cities, and in the past two years, it has seen a huge influx of refugees fleeing violence in neighbouring Somalia and Sudan.
More than 1,500 churches in the area have been praying and working for many months to prepare for the Encountering God Festival scheduled for 8 and 9 March. Thousands of local believers are participating in our I Am Andrew program by
praying for unsaved loved ones and inviting them to the events. Local leaders have been hosting Christian Life and Witness Course (CLWC) classes, and to date, over 25,000 men and women have attended this evangelism and discipleship training. We praise God for this response. Thousands of them have signed up to serve as prayer counsellors during the Festival. “We have seen how CLWC training is closely connected to life. We have learned from the training… that our lives should have an impact beyond our words,” shared one of the pastors who is leading CLWC at his church. “To be honest, it has been a great inspiration to spread the Gospel of the Lord among our friends.” Even though religious freedom is strongly protected by the Ethiopian government, those who commit their lives to Christ and leave the old way of life can face severe
backlash from their loved ones and neighbours. Please pray that the Lord will protect those who make decisions for Jesus Christ.

    May God richly bless you,

     Franklin Graham

President & CEO

“Now is the time to unite so that we may boldly proclaim the mystery of the Gospel,” Viktor Hamm, vice president of Crusade ministries at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), shared with over 350 pastors and church leaders
gathered at Westminster, London, for the 2025 God Loves You Tour launch. Franklin Graham will be returning this summer to share the Gospel message at the ExCeL London. The room was filled with an excitement as believers came together
for worship and prayer, whilst receiving encouragement to boldly proclaim the Gospel in their city. Several local leaders who have previously partnered with the ministry urged those in attendance to get involved in the many preparatory
events taking place leading up to June 2025.
“We can’t win this country back to Jesus on our own … we are all needed!” said Wes Richards, pastor of King’s Church International. His church filled six of the coaches provided by BGEA to help transport people to the 2023 event in London.
Lloyd, a pastor from Be Church in East London, also shared his excitement for the upcoming outreach in June. “What I love is that every event I’ve been involved with in the past has been top quality,” he said.

His church participated in the 2022 and 2023 God Loves You Tour events, where thousands of people made a decision for Christ. Lucy Edwards of Swindon’s Citifaith International Church recounted how it was a Billy Graham rally broadcast that led her to dedicate her life to Christ in 1989. Now, Lucy is excited to partner with BGEA in sharing the hope that she has received in Christ. She shared her enthusiasm for filling a bus with people to bring to the event, as well as getting young people at her church to attend one of the Pursuit of Worship youth sessions.

“You hear a lot that the church is in decline and the church is dead. But when you see a room full of pastors and leaders that are passionate about the Gospel and reaching their cities …it’s really encouraging,” Lucy shared.

Please pray for the hearts of those attending the God Loves You Tour, that their hearts would be open to the Gospel and that the event would bring lasting change to London and beyond.

GOD LOVES YOU TOUR COUNSELORS EVENT

Colin Wilkinson was one of the many volunteers who attended the recent Counsellor Celebration at Westminster Chapel. The event was hosted by BGEA to honour counsellors who served at recent God Loves You Tour events in the UK.
It was Colin’s first time at Westminster Chapel, and he expressed his excitement to be part of such a meaningful gathering. “God is doing amazing things in the UK and I believe it includes the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association,” he afirmed.

Colin has witnessed the impact of the Tour firsthand. When he served as a counsellor at the 2023 God Loves You Tour in London, he was personally blessed to lead a gentleman to the Lord who had been touched by Franklin Graham’s Gospel message. “I like how Franklin presents the Gospel in a quiet and simple manner,” Colin shared. Last year, he invited a friend who had recently become a Christian to attend the God Loves You Tour with him in Birmingham. It was a great encouragement for his friend to see such a vibrant demonstration of God at work and it blessed Colin’s heart as well. Looking ahead to the God Loves You Tour in London this June, Colin plans to volunteer as a counsellor once more, continuing his commitment to sharing the Good News. If you would like to find out more about the God Loves You Tour and how you can get involved, please visit GodLovesYouTour.org.uk.