1,500 Hispanic Churches Need Spanish-Language Resources for Billy Graham's 'My Hope America'

By Jessica Martinez, CP Reporter Tuesday, August 20, 2013

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) reported that some 1,500 Hispanic congregations are in need of Spanish-language resources to continue taking part in the Hispanic version of "My Hope America with Billy Graham," or "Mi Esperanza America," in November.

Currently, the BGEA is developing a special program in Spanish that includes a lip-synched new message from Billy Graham for Hispanic participants in addition to preparation and follow-up materials that are already available. Over 19,000 churches have already signed up across the country for the nationwide evangelism event in which renowned evangelist Billy Graham will most likely deliver his last sermon.

"Hispanic believers in churches across the nation are anxious to do something. Having relevant and accessible resources is an essential component for getting Spanish-speaking people from all backgrounds involved," said Preston Parrish, vice president for My Hope America with Billy Graham, to The Christian Post.

The "My Hope America" campaign is an evangelistic project with the aim to share the word of God with the help of video and TV programs and the power of personal relationships.

"This Fall, there will be a new evangelistic program featuring a message Billy Graham recorded specifically for this project. Participating Christians will invite their friends, family members, and neighbors to their homes to watch that powerful video program in November. After watching the program, they can share their personal story of coming to faith in Christ," said Parrish.

Parrish also told CP the response from the Hispanic community to join the evangelistic movement has been "incredible" while adding that the outreach model has been well embraced.

"The strategy behind My Hope America fits well with the Hispanics, who are very connected to their families and neighbors. My Hope America – inviting people you already know to meet Jesus – is a natural extension from the relationships you've already built through the years and we are looking forward to how God is going to use this effort among Hispanics across the nation," said Parrish.

A major part of the outreach campaign is to disciple non-believers and get them involved with their local church after they have established a connection with a home group. Upon deciding to follow Christ through the efforts of the campaign, the organization will provide each registered participant a four-lesson bible study called Living in Christ with the purpose of getting new believers started in their walk of faith.

In addition to U.S. churches partaking in "My Hope," the outreach strategy has also reached Latin America through partnerships with churches from Mexico to Argentina that has resulted in over two million decisions for Christ.