'Give Him the Glory': 35K Hear the Gospel, Franklin Graham Wraps 'God Loves You' Tidewater Tour

Evangelist Franklin Graham's "God Loves You" Tidewater Tour closed out in North Carolina Sunday, with more than 35,000 people hearing the life-changing message of the Gospel during the six-city tour. 

It began in the small Maryland towns of La Plata, Timonium, Elkton, and Salisbury in April, before stopping in Portsmouth, VA, and finishing in Edenton, NC.   

Roughly 7,600 people attended the final outreach in Edenton – a town with a population of only 4,400 people. 

"I have a heart for smaller cities. It is just as important to go to these communities as it is to preach in major cities. The Gospel has such a strong impact in these smaller places. Night after night we have seen hundreds and hundreds of people respond to the Good News of Jesus Christ," Graham told CBN News in a statement. 

More than 885 churches across all six cities worked with Franklin Graham and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) for the God Loves You Tidewater Tour.

"Here in the Baltimore area, the hurt and pain is evident in many communities," said Angel Núñez, a pastor in Timonium, MD. "Drugs, violence, human trafficking, and hopelessness reign. Many people are broken and they have lost all hope." 

"It is precisely at this moment in our lives that we need a touch from God and to hear of His great love for us," he added.

(Photo Courtesy: Billy Graham Evangelistic Association)

"Many people in our communities are struggling with isolation, depression, and anxiety," explained Wallace Phillips, senior pastor of Carpenter's Shop International Church in Hertford County, NC. "This is why the God Loves You Tidewater Tour has come to Edenton with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ." 

He continued, "This is the fresh start that so many people are looking for."

(Photo Courtesy: Billy Graham Evangelistic Association)

Those who attended the event worshipped  along with musical performers including Newsboys, Marcos Witt, and Dennis Agajanian before hearing a powerful message from Graham. 

(Photo Courtesy: Billy Graham Evangelistic Association)

"Is there an emptiness in your life?" asked Graham. "Is your life such a mess that you don't know what to do or where to go?"

"Whatever the problem, I'm here tonight to tell you that Jesus Christ is the answer if you put your faith and trust in Him," he shared. 

One couple told BGEA that although they have attended church for the last five years, Graham's message encouraged them to go deeper in their relationship with Christ.

"We didn't know that we must be born again," the man said.

Sheriff Edward Basnight of Edenton told the organization that breakthrough is on the horizon. 

"There's a strong spiritual climate here," the Chowan County sheriff noted. "I've been praying that God would just show up and show off—that He would come in and move this county, this community."
 

(Photo Courtesy: Billy Graham Evangelistic Association)

As CBN News reported, Graham has held evangelistic tour events across the United States over the last seven years. According to the God Loves You Tour website, from California to Florida, more than 440,000 people have heard the hope of the Gospel, and over 27,000 made decisions for Jesus Christ.

Last fall, Graham closed out the 2022 God Loves You Tour in Minnesota. More than 50,000 people heard the Gospel message during the six-city tour.

"From Maryland to Virginia and North Carolina, we thank God for all He did on the God Loves You Tidewater Tour and give Him the glory for lives transformed by the Gospel," wrote Graham on Facebook. 

***Please sign up for CBN Newsletters and download the CBN News app to ensure you keep receiving the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***