Dr. Billy Graham held evangelistic crusades in 185 countries, preaching to 215 million people in stadiums, and over 2 billion by TV and radio. His sermons brought over 3 million people to profess faith in Christ. A feature of his crusades was that he forbade racial segregation as seekers came forward to receive Christ. This was a remarkable practice at a time when racial segregation was so rampart in our country. Big “I”s and little “U”s was also an issue when the Apostle Paul proclaimed the Gospel in his day within the Roman Empire. The great cleavage was between Jews and Gentiles. Much of his suffering came from insisting that Gentiles had equal access to the Gospel as Jews did-that Gentiles did not need to adopt Jewish customs to be saved. His inclusive message caused religious fanatics to track him from city to city, trying to squash the Gospel message. Despite fierce opposition in many cities, Paul joyfully reported to the sending church at Antioch how God opened the door of faith to Gentiles. Today, our task is to share with all people this inclusive message of and about Christ-just as Paul, Billy Graham, and many others have done.
Dr. Melvin E. Banks, Sr.
Dr. Melvin E. Banks, Sr. is the founder and chairman of UMI (Urban Ministries, Inc.). Under his direction, UMI has grown to be a leading publisher of Christian education resources for churches in the African American community. Read More
