Evangelist Franklin Graham delivered Gospel messages to more than 30,000 people during a historic worship gathering in Belarus over the weekend, urging attendees to experience “a spiritual rebirth through Jesus Christ.”
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association announced that more than 15,000 people attended each night of the Festival of Hope held Saturday and Sunday at Chizhovka Arena in Minsk, the capital city of Belarus.
Addressing the crowd, Graham emphasized the message of salvation through Christ, declaring, “Tonight you can experience a new birth, a spiritual rebirth through Jesus Christ.”
He continued by telling attendees, “Jesus didn’t come to condemn you; He came to save you. Jesus said, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’ There’s no other way to God. He made you and He loves you, but the only way to be forgiven of your sins and have a personal relationship with Him is through His Son, Jesus Christ.”
Serving as CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Graham preached on both evenings of the outreach event and later shared highlights from the gathering on X.
Reflecting on the first night, Graham wrote, “It was an amazing night here in Minsk, Belarus! Many of the Christians here say that God did a miracle.” He added that attendees “came on buses, trains and cars from every part of the country and filled the arena, as well as the overflow space — and then even stood outside the arena to hear the Gospel message!”
Graham described the outreach as unprecedented in the nation’s history, writing that “[S]omething like this has never happened before in the history of the country.” He also highlighted the participation of “a 1,300-member choir from 43 cities and villages, as well as an unbelievable symphony orchestra and several local artists.”
The evangelist also expressed appreciation to Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko for “allowing the evangelical churches to gather on a national scale like this.”
Photographs shared online showed packed crowds inside and outside the arena, along with worship performances and Graham preaching from the stage.
In a second X post published Sunday, Graham described another “historic crowd” of 15,500 people gathered at Chizhovka Arena and recounted the testimony of a man who had intended to take his own life the previous week.
“He came tonight, heard the Gospel, and found true hope by putting his faith and trust in Christ,” Graham said.
According to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, nearly 700 Evangelical churches partnered together for the Festival of Hope, while organizers also distributed more than 2,000 Bibles during the event.
Graham is expected to continue his international evangelistic outreach later this year, with Madrid, Spain, scheduled to host the Festival de la Esperanza on May 30–31. His “God Loves You Tour” is also set to visit Manchester, England, on Oct. 3.
